


Zootopia: Furry Fury

by Anguirus1955



Series: Reckless Endangerment Series [4]
Category: Zootopia
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Mohawks, Smut, Terrorists, Zootopia Meets Dirty Harry, Zootopia Meets Lethal Weapon, idiot politicians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-16 13:51:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 53,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9274817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anguirus1955/pseuds/Anguirus1955
Summary: It's been over a year since the mob war between Arjun Rooter and Mr. Big, but just as newly wedded couple Nick and Judy Wilde begin feeling at peace, new legislation and resurfacing prejudice in Zootopia begin to make things difficult once again. It certainly doesn't help that a pro-prey terrorist group has their sights set on Zootopia, and will do anything to get what they want, and that includes killing anyone who gets in their way.





	1. Blood On The Wind

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

This story takes place over a year and a half after the events of The Scales Of Fear, because Nick and Judy cannot catch a break. Also, I don't plan on making this story anywhere near as long as The Scales Of Fear.

Warning: This story is rated M for lemons, swearing, violence, and depictions of _jaywalking_.

* * *

**Blood On The Wind**

* * *

Date: Tuesday, September 17th, 2021 

**Jethero Mountain Range, Route 76, Just North-West of Zootopia, Continent of Pangeosia**

A white van, owned by the Red Tree Cola company, drove along a winding road alongside Ethel Mountain, the smallest of the Jethero Mountains. Inside the cab were two male coyotes, wearing the standard grey jumpsuits and caps that drivers for the company wore. "How many more miles?" Donovan Swill, the smaller of the two coyotes, asked his partner. "Another eighty to go. We'll need to stop for gas soon," Greg Biggs, the larger and older of the two, said in response.

"Already? I thought we just stopped," Donovan whined. "That was three hours ago. This van doesn't have the fuel efficiency of the newer models," Greg said. "When are we supposed to get a newer model to drive?" Donovan asked him. "When the company gets enough of them. Geez, you whine like a pup," Greg replied. "How far is the nearest rest-stop?" Donovan asked him.

"I thought you went at the last one?" Greg asked him. "That was three hours ago," Donovan retorted snarkily. "Smart-ass," Greg muttered. The coyote continued driving along the lonely road, passing only a small number of cars and trucks along the way. Eventually, the duo arrived at a gas station, with a sign advertising for a route to an ostrich farm.

"Well, they have gas, and it looks like a restroom too," Greg said to Donovan. "Finally," Donovan said as Greg pulled into the gas station. "You go do your business while I fill up," Greg said, parking the van. "Got it," Donovan said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out.

"Just don't take too long. _I_ have to go too," Greg said to the younger coyote as he unbuckled his own seat belt and got out, taking the keys out of the ignition hooking them to his key-chain on his belt. "Hey, I just gotta piss. Won't be more than five minutes," Donovan said as he walked away and over to the back of the gas station where the rest-room was advertised.

Greg walked over to the other side of the vehicle and got the truck ready to fill up, swiping his company card and entering the PIN into the machine before grabbing the nozzle and sticking it into the van fuel port. He didn't hear the faint noise behind the building as he fueled the van. After the van was full, he put the nozzle back and replaced the cap before shutting the lid over the port. He checked his watch as he waited for Donovan to return.

A cool breeze swept through the air, ruffling Greg's fur lightly. He soon checked his watch again. "Six minutes," Greg muttered, not noticing the black and white furred hare with a Mohawk walking around the corner of the building. The hare glared at him with a frown. Checking his watch one more time, Greg shook his head and walked over to the back of the building, not hearing the light steps of the small mammal behind him.

"Don, what the hell are you-Don?" Greg asked as he saw the younger coyote lying on the ground halfway out of the restroom, the door caught on his torso. "Don?" Greg asked with concern in his voice as he crouched down next to the younger coyote. He smelled Donovan's blood before he noticed the slash around the younger male's throat.

Greg's eyes widened and his ears twitched, just seconds before hearing the sound of someone running behind him. He then felt a weight pres against his back, before the cold and sharp metal of a blade was shoved through his torso as a furry paw grabbed his snout and held it shut as the blade was twisted through his heart. "There, all better," a male voice said before Greg felt his world turn into nothingness.

The coyote fell to the ground as the hare took his large knife out of the coyote's torso and back, wiping it before stowing it in its holster. The hare then walked around and looked over at the white van, admiring its size. "That'll do just fine," he said to himself with a grin.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Chief Martin Bogo sighed as he looked at the papers in front of him. "This is crap," he muttered to himself as he took off his reading glasses. "It doesn't matter if you don't like them, Chief. These are the orders from City Council," Commissioner Bernard Callahan said. "And what did they twist your arms with this time?" Bogo asked the bear.

"Nothing. I just don't feel like arguing with them anymore. I'm tired of it, and besides, I'll be retiring in another year or two anyway. What am I going to care? I've got my pension set up," Callahan said. "Your brother would have at least fought it," Bogo said. "My brother is dead, Marty. And even if he weren't, he would've gotten tired eventually as well. It's the natural order of things. You start out weak, get strong, and eventually grow tired, just like waking up in the morning and going through the day," Bernard said.

"My officers aren't going to like this," Bogo said as he pointed at the papers in front of him. "It's not my concern as to whether anyone likes it, Marty. Those orders are from the City Council, and the Mayor's Office," Bernard said. "But... I just don't get it. We've never had orders like these before," Bogo said. "There's always change, Marty. If you don't adapt to it, you'll fade away and die. So, get with the program. I've already been de-clawed, and half of the Precinct Three is getting the same thing done.," Bernard said.

"But... why now? There haven't been any incidents or outcries from citizens about predators or predator cops that would cause this kind of... policy-making," Bogo said. "Your guess is as good as mine, Marty. But, them's the works. New mayor, new policies. Just gotta go with the flow," Bernard said. "Fine. But I'll waiting until the deadline to enforce it," Bogo said. "You can do that, Marty," Bernard said with a nod. "Just remember, though, that even if I personally don't give a damn, City Council _will_ be watching, and waiting," Bernard said before he got up and made his way over to the door.

"Oh, one more thing. Tell your son happy birthday for me, won't you?" Bernard asked. "His birthday was two months ago," Bogo said curtly. "Oh. Sorry about that. Didn't think I'd missed it," Bernard said. "I appreciate the gesture, though," Bogo said with a curt nod. "You're welcome. And Marty? For what it's worth... I hated getting de-clawed. But I still went through with it because I have a duty to obey the orders of my superiors. Have a nice day," Bernard said before walking out the door.

"Oh, and one more thing," Bernard said as he popped his head through the doorway. "Yes?" Bogo asked him warily. "I missed it when it happened, but tell Sergeant Wilde congratulations," Bernard said. "Which one?" Bogo asked him. "Both of them," Bernard said before closing the door. "I'll give them your regards," Bogo said quietly.

* * *

**Somewhere In Sahara Square, Near The Transitional Tunnel For Savanna Central**

Sitting in the passenger seat of their cruiser, Nick Wilde looked at the speed scanner in his paws while Judy kept looking at the magazine in her paws. "Um, hey, Carrots? Maybe you shouldn't be looking at that during patrol hours," Nick said. He'd apparently started rubbing off on his mate in more ways than one. "Nick, if we're ever going to start a family, we might as well make sure we know what the market is like for larger homes," Judy replied.

"Yeah, but... I don't think either of us really need to have a bigger family than what we already have at the moment. At least, for now, you know?" Nick replied. Judy sighed as she looked over at him. "Yeah, I know. But... I still think that it's a good idea to be prepared for the future," Judy said. "I agree with that, but let's take things slowly," Nick said.

"Okay. So... anything on the speed scanner?" Judy asked him. "We had one guy going two miles over the speed limit... an hour ago. That's it. We're parked out on by a patch of road that almost nobody uses," Nick said. "It's like they _want_ us to get bored and fuck each other while on duty or something," he added.

"Maybe Bogo is just giving us some easy assignments for the time being? I mean, remember how we came into the office last week?" Judy asked him with a blush. "Oh yes. He told us both to go home and shower because we smelled like sex," Nick said. "And we'd _already_ showered before coming into the station," Judy snickered.

"Well, that's what happens when you use the next day's uniform as a blanket after eight rounds of fucking," Nick quipped. "Yeah," Judy said dreamily. "Hey, Nick... this weekend, there's something I'd like to try," Judy said with a smirk. "Oh really? And what would that be?" he asked her with a grin. "Well-" " _Come in Unit Nine-Alpha-Seven-Seven. What's your status?_ " asked a female voice on the radio.

"Ten-Four. This is Unit Nine-Alpha-Seven-Seven. Status is that we are bored and there is nothing of note in our patrol zone at this hour. Ten-Four," Nick said. " _Ten-Four, Unit Nine-Alpha-Seven-Seven. Dispatch out,_ " the dispatcher said. "Right. Now, what were we talking about?" Nick asked Judy.

"I was about to ask you something about this weekend," Judy said. "Right. Well, go on," Nick implored. A small breeze swept through the open windows of the cruiser, ruffling the two mammals' fur. "Well, I was thinking that we could... have a friend over," Judy said. "A friend? So... wait, are you suggesting a threesome?" Nick asked her. "Maybe," Judy replied coyly. "Would this friend be female?" Nick asked her with a grin.

"If you behave," Judy replied. "Absolutely, Mrs. Wilde," Nick said with a grin. "It's _Sergeant_ Wilde to you, Sergeant Wilde," Judy replied with a grin of her own. "Hey... that gives me an idea," Nick said mischievously. "What?" Judy asked him. "Whenever someone says 'Wilde,' we both reply at the same time," Nick said with a grin.

"Oh, that's just _mean_ ," Judy said with a grin. "I know. Let's do it when-no, Clawhauser always uses our first names. Okay, let's do it to everyone else," Nick said, snickering. "Fine," Judy said in agreement, rolling her eyes at her husband's behavior.

* * *

**Zootopia Border Station, North Entrance # 03**

Inside a white van, a black & white furred hare named Joe Welker drove forward, eventually slowing down the van and bringing it to a stop near the entrance to Zootopia's northern borders. A station worker walked over to his window. "Vehicle Number and registration?" the worker, a white-tailed deer, asked him. Welker nodded his head and handed the papers to the deer. "Let me check it out on the system," the deer said as he walked over to his shack.

In the back of the van, hidden by a curtain, were Welker's associates. There were two fallow deer (a doe and a buck), a brown-furred hare buck, a gray-furred hare doe, three rams, a ewe, and a goat. The station worker soon returned with the papers and gave them back to Welker. "Everything checks out. You just keep on this road and there'll be a vehicle depot a few miles south of here for you to get things checked out if needed," the deer said before walking away.

Welker nodded his head and waited for the gate to slide open, and then drove forward, heading into the gigantic megalopolis known as Zootopia. After a few minutes, he whistled to let his comrades know that they were in the clear. One of the rams grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside. "How much farther?" the ram, whose name was Blake Kurtz, asked him. "Not far," Welker replied.

"We should be there before the sun sets," the hare added. "Good. There's an old colleague of mine that we need to pick up," Kurtz said. "Ramses?" Welker asked him. "That's the one," Kurtz replied. "It's risky. He was part of Bellwether's Night Howler plot," Welker said.

"That's why we should have him join us. He share's our goal," Kurtz said. "But the police might still be looking for him," Welker countered as he kept his eyes on the road. "Trust me, he knows how to hide and blend in with a crowd," Kurtz said. "Then how will we find him?" Welker asked in response. "Leave that to me," Kurtz replied. Welker nodded his head.

"How are the others holding up back there?" Welker then asked, changing the topic. "They're fine. We've got all of our gear stowed. No one's gonna find shit if they check the van out," Kurtz replied. "Good. I'm gonna take us to a rest stop soon. We can all freshen up before getting back on the road," Welker said.

"Zootopia," he muttered to himself. "Where anyone can be anything. Where filthy preds can be police officers and prey are forced to do their bidding. It's time to put an end to it," he said with a frown as he saw the nearest sign up ahead. "Power to the prey."

* * *

**East Savannah Apartments, Apartment 423, Lemon That Evening...**

As soon as Nick closed the door behind him, he walked over to the fridge and grabbed the gallon of lemonade tea cooler in side, opening the cap and just chugging it straight from the bottle. "Give me that!" Judy insisted as she grabbed the gallon jug from his paws and started downing it herself. "Glutton," Nick muttered.

Judy smirked at him before putting the gallon jug back in the fridge. She then tore away into the bathroom. "I didn't think that stuff ran through her _that_ quickly," Nick muttered to himself as he walked over to the bathroom door and waited for Judy to finish up. When Judy finally exited the bathroom, Nick quickly entered himself and sat down on the toilet. "You aren't going to close the door?" Judy asked him.

"Why? It's not like we won't be seeing each other naked later anyway," Nick replied with a smirk on his face. Judy nodded her head and made her way into the bedroom. She quietly made her way over to one of her drawers as an idea popped into her head. Opening the drawer, she reached inside and retrieved a bright pink phallic object, along with lubricant.

She quickly placed the dildo on the floor, lubed it up, and then removed every single article of clothing that she was wearing. She listened intently for the sounds of the toilet flushing and the rushing water of the sink, waiting until she was positive that Nick was finishing up before impaling herself on the sex toy. She held back a squeal of delight as the rubber filled her up, before she slowly raised herself up and down on the object, watching and waiting for Nick to enter the doorway.

When Nick finally entered the doorway, he stopped. He was almost stunned into silence as he saw Judy slowly riding her dildo, her big beautiful eyes locking onto his. "Oh... my," Nick said in surprise. He quickly took off his pants and underwear, watching as Judy's gaze traveled down to his groin, where she saw him fully exposed. When she licked her lips, he swelled even more.

"Bring it over here," Judy said huskily. Nick obeyed without question, watching as his wife took his cock into her mouth while she continued riding her bright pink rubber dildo. She used her paws to fondle him as she licked and sucked. She soon increased the pace of her riding as she increased the pace of her sucking and licking. Nick gasped at the sensation, feeling that wonderful pressure beginning to build in his loins. Judy continued increasing the pace of her act for over five minutes before Nick felt himself ejaculate inside her mouth with a grunt.

When she released him from her mouth, he quickly knelt down beside her and put a paw between her legs, finding and rubbing her clitoris while she continued riding her toy, making her whine and pant with need. " _Please, Nick. I'm so close,_ " she whispered into his ear as he cupped the back of her head with his other paw, bringing her into a hug as she increased the tempo of her ride. _Just a little longer_ , Judy thought to herself as she felt that orgasmic heat pool in her belly. She was close. Her breathing soon came out in ragged pants and sobs, with Nick's ministrations bringing her closer to the edge.

After another minute, Nick moved his fingers at just the right angle, and he watched as Judy's eyes widened and her back arched. He smelled her intoxicating release and watched as her juices flowed down the dildo, seeing her muscles spasm as she gasped for breath. " _F-Fuck!_ " Judy whispered hoarsely.

Nick titled his head and nuzzled her. "I think this is the first time that you _didn't_ cum before I did," Nick said with a chuckle. "First time... for everything," Judy said breathlessly. "So... you up for another round?" Nick asked her, letting his erection rub against her thigh. Judy looked down at it hungrily, before standing up removing the dildo with a plop. She then walked in front of Nick and got onto all fours, peering over her shoulder at him. "Did you ever doubt me?" she asked him with a wink.

"Never," he replied with a smirk before positioning himself over her. "Um, for the record... does this count as the first or second round of the night?" Nick asked her as he slid home. "I don't care, just make me cum... big daddy," Judy said. "Carrots... that almost killed my erection," Nick said, frowning.

"Then how about-" "How about we see if you can even continue that line of thought at all?" Nick suggested as he began pumping in and out of her. Judy soon forgot all about her lines of dialogue as Nick fucked her from behind, rhythmically impaling her over and over again, slowly picking up speed with each thrust. Judy moaned in ecstasy as Nick fucked her, loving the friction of his organ moving in and out of her slick passage.

"Yes," Judy moaned as she felt his dick starting to swell inside of her as the tempo of his thrusts increased in speed. She sighed in pleasure as he felt him starting to knot. "You always do that in this position," Judy said with a blissful sigh.

"It's-ah-instinctual. Kind of-ah-like this position," Nick said. "Hmm, one instinct plus another instinct equals... oh fuck, oh fuck!" Judy cried out at Nick picked up the pace, whining as he neared his release. He could feel Judy tightening around him in response as the heat became overwhelming. Judy started panting again, and Nick whined before he felt her walls contract around his length. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Judy hissed as her orgasm overwhelmed her. She soon felt Nick's knot fix itself as his warmth spread through her pussy.

Nick gasped as he came, leaning over his wife's back, panting into her ears. "I love you," he panted before licking the base of an ear. Judy purred in response, tilting her head back to nuzzle against him. "I love you too," she said softly.

* * *

Date: Wednesday, September 18th, 2021 

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Chief Bogo walked into the briefing room quietly. "Attention!" Higgins said, causing everyone to stand up. "At ease," Bogo said, causing everyone to sit down. "The first item on today's docket is... not something I'm going to enjoy laying on any of you," Bogo said wearily. Many of the animals in the room looked at Bogo with confused and worried expressions. "Is the coffee machine broken again?" asked McLeod.

"I wish that were the actual bad news," Bogo said. "Ladies and gentle-mammals, I just recently received a piece of ordinance from City Hall. More specifically, it's something that the City Council itself has voted on and passed by themselves. Before the beginning of next year, all predators in uniform are required to undergo new safety training and are to... have their fangs and claws filed, removed, or otherwise made unnoticeable to the general public," Bogo said.

Everyone in the room stared at him. Finally, a lone arm rose into the air. "Yes, Anderson?" Bogo asked. "I'm sorry, but... could you say that again, in common tongue?" the polar bear asked him. "All predator officers are to have visible signs of fangs and claws shortened or removed. They must be kept out of view of the general public," Bogo said.

Judy raised her paw in to the air. "Yes, Sergeant Hop-I mean, Wilde?" Bogo said. "Why?" Judy asked bluntly. Bogo closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again. "Why? Sergeant, the official reasoning that I was given by our contact in the City Council is that recent events in the past few years have caused the city's majority prey population to become... wary of predators, especially those who are in positions of authority, such as police officers," Bogo said.

"Wait, what? What recent events?" Nick asked. "Specific incidents were not cited," Bogo replied. "So... why are they doing this? Is this something that was drafted during Bellwether's term?" Fangmeyer asked incredulously. "No. This was drafted last year, shortly after the arrest of crime boss Mr. Big," Bogo replied. "Hold on, most of the animals killed in relation to him were also predators," Nick pointed out. "Yeah, and most of the animals who were massacred on his orders were a mix of predators and prey," Grizzoli spoke up.

"I understand that, but... these orders cam straight from the City Council," Bogo said. "Was it signed by the mayor himself?" Nick asked him. "Yes. Mayor Evarhyde signed it himself," Bogo replied. "Figures. Ever since he took office this year, he's been passing bills that make things difficult for predators," Fursfield muttered.

Bogo snorted. "Listen!" he shouted, getting everyone's attention. "I know that our newest mayor isn't particularly popular among most of you, but the fact remains that we have our orders. Now, the deadline isn't until the last day of the year, so no one has to comply right away," Bogo said. Judy raised a paw into the air.

"Yes, Sergeant Wilde?" Bogo asked. "Um, sir, if I may point out, many prey animals also have claws, not just predators. Are they also required to have their claws filed or removed?" Judy asked him. Bogo re-read the papers in his hooves. "No. They are not," he said. "What!? That's fucking discrimination!" McLeod shouted. "Yeah!" Anderson chimed in angrily. "Settle down, people," Bogo said.

"They're right, sir. This is blatant discrimination," Nick said calmly. Somehow, this got on Bogo's nerves more than the shouting did. "Wilde," Bogo said. "Yes?" Judy asked. "No, the other Wilde," Bogo said. "Oh," Judy said. Nick sniggered. "Look, everyone. It's entirely possible that this could be overturned before the end of the year. And as I just told you, the deadline is not until the end of the year. There's plenty of time to sort things out," Bogo said.

"Uh, quick question, sir," Nick said. "Yes?" Bogo asked. "Um, how does this apply to animals who perform undercover work, or plain-clothes work?" Nick asked him. "Captain Glover is dealing with that in Narcotics and Homicide," Bogo said. "Now, we are moving onto the next item on the docket," Bogo said.

"Wolford, you have patrol near the South-West docks in Savanna Central. Delgato, you have patrol up in the Bridgeville District of the Meadowlands," Bogo said. The lion nodded his head. "McLeod, you and Fursfield will be working with the traffic cops in Precinct Two. There's a new turn-off under construction, and there have been reports of vandalism occurring nearby. You'll both report to the precinct station and receive further instructions from Captain Redford," Bogo said.

"Fangton, you have patrol in Downtown. Rhinowitz... you have paperwork that needs to be turned in by noon. McHorn, you have patrol near the transtional tunnel for the Rainforest District. No pizza stains on the seats of the cruiser, please," Bogo said. McHorn looked away sheepishly. "Burns, you have patrol near the transitional tunnel for the Outback Region," Bogo said. The tiger nodded his head. "Woolsworth, you have parking duty in Downtown. Jurro, you have parking duty in the South-side docks. Alert Wolford if you need help with something," Bogo said.

"Wilde and Wilde... patrol in Tundra Town. Captain Hingle wants your help with breaking in a new recruit. No ice cream stains on the seats this time," Bogo said. "Aww, I thought everyone liked the smell of vanilla," Nick said. " _Wilde,_ " Bogo growled. "Right, sir," Nick said. "Grizzoli, you have unfinished paperwork that needs to be turned in by noon," Bogo said. "Johnson, you have patrol in Sahara Square, near the transition tunnels. Anderson... you'll be doing patrol in Tundra Town, just outside of the transitional tunnel to Sahara Square. Provide assistance to Sergeants Wilde and Wilde if they need it," Bogo said. Anderson nodded his head.

"Fangmeyer, you'll be meeting up with Trunkaby at Dewfield Elementary School in the Rainforest District. They have a career day event going on, and you've both been chosen as our representatives," Bogo said. "Um... I'm not familiar with the address," the tigress said. "Neither am I," Trunkaby added. "You'll receive a map with directions," Bogo said flatly. "Anyway," he said before moving onto the next assignments for his officers.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct Three, Tundra Town...**

"I don't get it," Nick said as Judy drove the cruiser through the parking lot of the station. "What don't you get?" Judy asked him as she pulled into a spot. "New recruits are usually sent out in May, right?" Nick asked her as she parked the car and turned off the engine. "Yeah," Judy replied.

"So, if it's been... five or six months, give or take few days, then why wait until now to have us help break someone in? And why in another precinct?" Nick asked her curiously. "Well, I don't know. It could be a late graduate from the academy, or someone who went through their courses faster than expected. Someone could have taken remedial courses after failing to graduate last year, or something like that," Judy said.

"Maybe we should just ask Captain Hingle when we see him," Nick suggested as he unbuckled his seat belt. Judy followed suit and the duo departed from the cruiser, locking it before making their way over to the steps that led up to the entrance of the Third Precinct's main station. As soon as they got inside, the duo found themselves stepping around several bears and badgers. One badger was hauling a wolf in cuffs over towards a hallway, while two polar bears stood next to a potted plant, deep in conversation. At least one Kodiak bear was talking to a snow leopard, ignoring the newcomers as they made their way to the front desk, where a familiar polar bear greeted them.

"Hey, Officer Briggs!" Judy said with a smile. "Huh? Oh, hello," Briggs replied nonchalantly as she spotted Nick and Judy walking towards her desk. "Technically, it's Sergeant Briggs," the polar bear said when Judy had gotten close enough to the desk. "Oh. Sorry about that," Judy said. "Anyway, what can I do for you guys?" Briggs asked them.

"We were told to see Captain Hingle. He wants our assistance with something involving a new recruit, we were told," Judy explained. "Oh, _her_. Right, I trust that you remember the way to the captain's office?" Briggs asked her. "I think so," Judy said. Briggs raised an eyebrow before glancing over at a female timber wolf officer chatting with two other wolves. "Hey, Barnes! Get over here," Briggs called out to the wolf.

She turned her head and walked over to the front desk. "Yeah?" Officer Beverly Barnes asked the polar bear. "Escort these two to Captain Hingle's office. He wants to see them," Briggs relayed. "Whatever," Barnes said with a sigh as she gestured for Nick and Judy to follow her through the hallways.

"Well, it's just the third door on the left from the elevator, right?" Judy asked. "Of course. "But... isn't it the _other_ elevator?" Nick asked, prompting Barnes to stop walking. "Of course," she said with a strained smile as she turned around. She led them to the other elevator, ignoring the snickering from her fellow officers.

When the trio finally arrived at Captain Hingle's office, Officer Barnes quickly walked away, heading back to the elevator. "What's her problem?" Nick asked under his breath. Judy shrugged her shoulders and merely pressed the buzzer on Captain Hingle's door. " _Come on in!_ " Hingle called out. Nick opened the door and followed Judy inside, closing it behind him before stopping in his tracks as he saw a female arctic fox in a police uniform.

She was already saluting him and Judy with a bright smile on her face. She was also very young, Nick could tell. "Uh, hello. Officer... Clayworth?" he asked, reading her badge. "Yep! Officer Janet Clayworth!" she responded eagerly. "Uh, okay," Nick said, somewhat bewildered by her enthusiastic response.

"So, is she the new recruit that you wanted us to break in?" Nick asked Captain Hingle. The portly lion nodded his head in affirmation. "Yup. Say hello to Officer Janet Clayworth, the first arctic fox officer of the ZPD, and the second fox officer period," Hingle said proudly. "Hello, Janet," Nick said in the same manner as an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Judy elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow, what was that for?" Nick asked her. "For being _rude_ ," Judy whispered. She then returned her attention to the arctic vixen in front of her. "So, Officer Clayworth, when did you graduate?" Judy asked her. "This year! I was sent here in May," Clayworth replied jovially. "So, how does it feel to be the second fox to graduate from the Zootopia Police Academy?" Judy asked her.

"Um... it feels... nice? I mean, I always wanted to be a police officer, even as a kit, and my parents always told me that no one would ever accept a fox as a police officer, but then you came along, Officer Hopps, and then Officer Wilde here graduated and... and I knew I could finally be a police officer! If a bunny and a red fox can be police, then why can't I?" Clayworth said in an eager tone.

"Did you catch all of that?" Nick quietly asked his wife as Clayworth continued talking. "Most of it," Judy whispered back. "And then they said I should just give up, but I persisted! I knew that if I tried hard enough, I'd succeed. And I _did!_ Now I'm a full-fledged police officer!" Clayworth exclaimed happily, point at her badge with a smile. "She's like you when you started... but with caffeine for blood," Nick whispered.

"Well... how long have you been here at the Third Precinct?" Judy asked the vixen, ignoring Nick's comment. "Since May," Clayworth replied. "So... I think that's plenty of time to get broken in and used to things. Why are we needed here?" Judy said before turning to face Captain Hingle.

The lion sighed in response. "Well... you aren't so much 'breaking her in' as you're... making sure that people finally recognize that she's an official police officer," Hingle said. "Huh? What does _that_ mean?" Judy asked him. A frown appeared on Nick's face as Hingle's message became clear to him. "He means that no one is listening to her, Carrots," Nick said before turning to look at Clayworth.

"Officer Clayworth, how many arrests and citations have you made and given out so far?" Nick asked her. "I've made... two arrests, and I've handed out thirty citations for illegally parked vehicles and safety violations," Clayworth replied. "How many tickets have you given out?" Nick asked her. "Eighty," she said. "How many have been paid back or actually kept intact by the animals receiving them?" he asked her.

"Zero," Clayworth said, her smile dissipating. "How many arrests have been resisted?" Nick asked her. "Both of them," she said. "How many citations have been ignored?" Nick asked her. "All of them," she said. "How many animals have accused you of trying to scam them?" he finally asked her.

Janet Clayworth looked at the floor, suddenly finding it much more interesting than the current topic of discussion. "Officer Clayworth, a higher-ranking officer is asking you a question. Please answer it," Nick said firmly. Clayworth looked up with a frown. "Every... single... one," she said solemnly. Nick lowered his gaze to the floor before looking at Captain Hingle.

"That's... that's why I wanted the two of you here," he said. "I tried pairing her up with other officers, but every animal who saw them together... assumed that she was a perp," he said sadly. "Most of the animals resist anything that she does, and... it's led her to resort to using force in order to get them to comply. We've had dozens of calls and complaints regarding it, and I've tried to ignore them, but the City Council has started breathing down my neck to do something about it. I've tried to explain the situation to them, but they don't wanna listen to me," Hingle explained.

"We're your last resort?" Nick asked him. "Yes. I've tried talking to Bogo about what to do, but he's told me time and again that I'm supposed to be in charge of this jurisdiction, and I am, but if no one listens to my officers... what can I do?" he explained. "So, you're hoping that having us go around Tundra Town with her will help convince residents that she's a bona fide cop?" Judy asked him.

"That's the plan. If any more complaints make it through to City Hall... I'm not going to have much choice but to put her on desk duty, and that's if the City Council doesn't make a decision for me," Hingle said. "What do you mean by that?" Judy asked him. "It means that they'll use another complaint as an excuse to make him fire her," Nick said with a frown. He looked over at Clayworth, who had a worried expression on her face.

"They-They wouldn't really do that, would they?" she asked them nervously. Judy remembered the story that Inspector Milius had told her once, about the hyena named Ed. "They could, but we won't let them," she said with determination in her voice. Clayworth's eyes widened as she began feeling hope spread throughout her being. "R-Really?" she asked. "We'll certainly try our best, but you have to put in some effort as well," Nick said.

"Officer Hopps and Wilde, thank you!" Clayworth exclaimed happily. "Uh, just how old are you?" Nick asked her. "Twenty-two!" she chirped. "You might wanna tone down the caffeine intake," Nick said. "But I don't drink coffee," Clayworth said, somewhat confused. "Oh. Well... um, anyway, our ranks are actually Sergeant, and our names are both Wilde," Nick said, recovering from Clayworth's admission to not drinking the holy beverage of work-life.

"Oh, that's right! You both got married this summer," Hingle said. "Yes we did. Promoted simultaneously as well," Nick added. "Cool!" Clayworth chirped. "So, what's Clayworth been assigned today?" Judy asked Hingle. "Patrol duty, on the main road," Hingle replied. "What time does her shift end?" Judy asked him. "Six o'clock. I'll let Bogo know that you won't be back until later," Hingle replied. "Well then, let's get going," Judy said with a nod.

The bunny quickly turned around and marched out the door, with Nick and Clayworth following her. "So, does this mean that, if anyone gives me any trouble, you'll be backing me up?" Clayworth asked as they made their way to the elevator. "For the most part. Are we taking our cruiser, or one from here?" Nick replied. "Well, I guess we could dismantle the divider between the front and back," Judy said.

"Actually, I use a bike," Clayworth said. "You're... a traffic cop, aren't you?" Nick asked her. Clayworth nodded her head with a smile. "Sure am!" she said enthusiastically. "What, uh, does the outfit look like?" Nick asked her. "Standard weather gear and helmet," Clayworth replied as they entered the elevator and descended.

"Right. What kind of bike?" Nick asked her, slightly nervous. "Small-scale, I guess. It's more of a Moped than anything, but it gets the job done," Clayworth replied. "Gotcha. So, we'll be parking our cruiser not too far from your bike. Unless, you want to sit in the cruiser with us, where it's warm," Nick offered. "Well, that might be nice for today," Clayworth said as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

"Okay then. Let's get the divider taken down and hop in the cruiser. We'll be dropping you off here before your shift is over," Nick said as the trio exited the elevator. They quickly made their way through the lobby and back out into the cold air of Tundra Town. With Clayworth's cheery disposition, the cold weather, and the fact that they were going to be in Tundra Town for the duration of their shift, Nick and Judy both realized that they were in for a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And that's the first chapter of Zootopia: Furry Fury, the fourth installment in the Reckless Endangerment series. While most of the villains in the previous three stories were a mixture of predator and prey, with mercenaries and rogue cops, this story will feature a group of mostly prey antagonists. Also, I plan on making this story somewhat lighter in tone than Magnum Fur and The Scales Of Fear. There will still be dark and dramatic moments, but things won't be as bleak or as angsty as the previous entries is all. Think of this story as a breather, because I have a fifth story planned as well, and that one is going to be... a bit of a roller coaster ride.
> 
> But that's for another story. This story features our heroes going up against a prey activist terrorist group. It's... kind of inspired by the third Dirty Harry movie, The Enforcer (1976), but with influence by other Zootopia fan fiction stories that feature pro-prey groups and stuff. I figured I might as well tackle that kind of plot as well. Oh, and yes, Milius, Furrero, and Gibson are all still alive and will be featured in this story.
> 
> And the lemon in the first chapter will be the only lemon in the story.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you guys think in your reviews.


	2. Fox Cop Trot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Nick and Judy spend the day with Officer Clayworth, the Prey Liberation Front make contact with Doug Ramses.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

* * *

**Fox Cop Trot**

* * *

Date: Wednesday, September 18th, 2021

"So, what are your usual assignments?" Judy asked Janet Clayworth as they sat in the cruiser, watching the speed scanner and the road. "Parking and patrol. Sometimes I get front desk duty when someone has the day off or Hingle needs me to finish some paperwork," she replied as she kept her eyes on the road.

The day had been rather quiet so far, with only one speeding vehicle being pulled over and given a warning. Otherwise, things had been calm... and dull. Nick found this to be a perfect chance to get to know the young vixen better. "So... were there any other foxes in your graduating class at the academy?" Nick asked her. "There were two. One was a gray fox, and the other was a Corsac," Clayworth replied.

"Oh, hear that, Carrots?" Nick asked Judy. "I heard," Judy said, keeping her eyes on the road and the speed scanner. "So, where are they stationed?" Nick asked Clayworth. "Outback Island," she replied. "Ah," Nick said. "So, I guess you got to meet the mayor during the graduation ceremony?" Nick asked her. "No, only the assistant mayor," Clayworth replied.

"I see," Nick said. Just as he was about to speak again, a large car went speeding by. "Seventy-Eight!" Judy exclaimed as she started the engine and turned on the sirens, chasing down the speeding vehicle. When the car eventually pulled over a minute later up the road, Judy parked the cruiser a ways behind it. "Okay, Clayworth. Do your stuff," Judy said with a wink and a smile at the vixen. Clayworth smiled back and inhaled, puffing her chest up with pride and determination as she got out of the vehicle.

Nick and Judy both watched intently as Clayworth walked over to the pulled-over car. "There she goes," he said anxiously. "Just remember. Only intervene if necessary," Judy said. "Are you saying that to me or to yourself?" Nick asked her, noticing the way that she was watching the scene.

Up at the vehicle, Clayworth had ordered the driver to lower their window. The driver was a large bison. "Can I see your license and registration?" Clayworth asked the bison. "Are you serious?" the bison asked her incredulously. Clayworth looked up at the bison with a serious expression on her muzzle.

"Sir, I must request that you show me your license and registration. You were speeding, and this is a very dangerous place to do that. Many areas around here develop black ice, especially around corners," Clayworth said firmly. The bison chuckled. "What's so funny?" she asked him.

"You do a good impression of a cop. I'll give you that much. But I ain't falling for your scam, sweetie. Try it on someone who's dumber than me," the bison said, rolling up his window and hitting the gas. Clayworth quickly wrote down the license plate number, until she heard Judy call out to her. "Get in the cruiser!" Judy shouted.

Clayworth nodded her head and ran back over to the vehicle, hopping inside and buckling up as Judy activated the sirens and hit the gas. The bison continued driving, until Judy brought the cruiser up alongside his vehicle, and he finally saw that it was the real deal. The bison soon pulled over along the side of the road. Judy pulled the cruiser back and reversed it so that it was behind the bison's car as she parked it.

"Okay, Officer Clayworth, get out of the vehicle with me. Nick, stay inside and notify dispatch. Clayworth, hand him the license number plate number," Judy said. Clayworth handed the notepad over to Nick, who nodded his head. "Come on," Judy said as Clayworth got out of the cruiser with her. The two females marched over to the parked car, until Judy motioned for Clayworth to hang back a little bit.

The bison lowered the window and looked down at Judy. "Yes, Officer?" the bison asked her tiredly. "Sir, please show me your license and registration," Judy demanded. "Look, I already had to deal with some fox trying to scam me. Try looking for her instead," the bison said. "Sir, I need to see your license and registration," Judy said firmly.

"Wait... aren't you Officer Hopps?" the bison asked her. "It's Sergeant Hopps," Judy corrected him. "Sorry, Sergeant," the bison said. "I'm not the only one you need to apologize to, sir," Judy said as she glared at him. "Huh?" the bison asked her. "Officer Clayworth, step forward," Judy ordered. The slightly taller vixen walked over into the bison's view. "Hey, that's the fox who tried to scam me!" the bison yelled.

"Sir, she is not scamming you. She is an actual police officer, and you will show her the respect that an officer of the law deserves, especially since you _were_ speeding," Judy said firmly. "But... she's a _fox!_ " the bison shot back. "Sir, you still haven't given me your license and registration," Judy said. "But I-" " _Now, sir_ ," Judy said firmly.

"Yes, Ma'am," the bison said indignantly as he retrieved his papers and license, handing them to Judy. She quickly handed them to Clayworth, who took them back to the cruiser and checked them against database records. A couple minutes later, Clayworth returned to Judy's side, card and papers in tow. "Well, it seems that this would be your first offense, Mister Barbrady," Judy said. "Would be, that is, if you hadn't deliberately ignored warnings from a police officer and left the pull-over site without permission," Judy added.

"That makes it your second offense, and so we're writing you a ticket," Judy said. "Please be sure to pay this fine or appear in court on that date," Clayworth said as she handed the ticket to the bison. "This is complete Kafka," the bison said. "Thank you for being so considerate," Judy said with a bow before leading Clayworth back to the cruiser.

"So, how'd it go?" Nick asked as they got in the vehicle and closed the doors. "About as well the previous two pull-overs," Judy said with a sigh. She looked back at Janet, who was staring out the window with anxiety written all over her. "I figure we have a while before our presence isn't needed?" Nick asked Judy as she started the engine of the cruiser and pulled out onto the road, driving past the parked car.

"Yeah. I'd say we have quite a while before then," Judy replied with a frown. "I guess we just keep on it until things get better," Nick said. Nick looked in the rear view mirror and saw Janet's eyes occasionally flicking back to him and Judy as she stared out the window of the cruiser.

* * *

**143 Reed Street, Hill Town, The Meadowlands**

Joe Welker knocked on the wooden door of the brick-and-mortar house in front of him. " _Who is it?_ " a clearly fake accented voice asked from inside. "I'm someone who wants to change the world, Mr. Ramses," the hare said. His white Mohawk had been gelled down and combed over for the time being, causing the hair to fall over the left side of his face. His fur was mostly black with white stripes around his wrists and a large patch of white on his belly and chest, tapering as it went south. There was white around his ankles as well, and on his feet.

Of course, since he wore clothing, the only white that was visible was his Mohawk, and the white around his wrists, ankles, and feet. " _What is that supposed to mean?_ " the voice asked from inside. "It means, Doug Ramses, that we want to do far more than Bellwether dreamed of doing. We have the means and drive to get what we want, and we'd like you to join us," Welker replied with a smile on his face.

" _Who are you?_ " Doug asked. "The name is Joe Welker, and I'm here to bring power back to the prey, where it belongs," Welker replied. Doug slowly and cautiously opened the door, his wool having been recently shaved to help himself hide after moving from his last hiding spot a month earlier. "You're a rabbit," Doug said. "No, I'm a hare," Welker said. "Right. Bunnies, rabbits, it gets so confusing, since the only difference between you guys is size," Doug said.

"Not true. Rabbits are born without their fur, while we hares are born with it already on us. Of course, some hares, especially those who live in farming communities, sometimes take to calling themselves rabbits as well," Welker said. "Uh, right. So... what do you need me for?" Doug asked him. "I don't _need_ you, Mr. Ramses. In fact, I think that you joining us is a bad idea, but my friends here," Welker said, pointing to the rams, goat, and ewe standing behind him, "have convinced me to ask you to join us anyway."

"So... why did you object to my inclusion?" Doug asked him. "Because you're still on the run from the police, and if they recognize you before we can get our paws on the equipment that we need for our operation, we're in trouble. I can and _will_ ditch you if that happens, so right now is your chance to back out if you'd like," Welker said. "Well, just what exactly are you planning to begin with? Just so I know what's going on," Doug clarified.

"We're going to force all of the predators in Zootopia to accept their place beneath us, and we're going to make sure that they stay segregated from prey. We're gonna make things right, and if we do this right, we can even profit from it," Welker said. "You're right. You're going _way_ beyond what Bellwether was going to do," Doug said.

"So, will you join us?" Welker asked him. "I need more information. Come inside, all of you, and we can talk in private. I want to know _exactly_ how you plan on doing this, because trust me, being methodical and prepared is a necessity," Doug said. Welker gestured for the others to join him inside the ram's current hideout.

After the last animal entered the hideout, Doug closed the door and walked over to the den where several chairs and a sofa were set up near some book shelves. "No TV?" the goat asked him. "No. I change locations every few months to once a year. Can't risk a subscription leading anyone to me," Doug said. "You could still just use a TV for movies and games," the small ewe said. "Still too risky. And not worth the effort. Anyway, what's your name?" Doug asked her.

"I'm Alexis Curlton," the ewe replied. She had a pink stripe going over her left eye and down her neck. "And you?" Doug asked the rams. "Well, you might not know them, but you should at least remember me," Kurtz said. "Your voice seems a bit familiar," Doug said. "His name is Blake Kurtz," Welker said impatiently. "He's the one who brought up the idea of us recruiting you in the first place," Welker added.

"Huh. I thought you were still working at that store with your parents," Doug said. "No. I left a few years ago. I crossed the border and found some place West of Zootopia, out beyond the mountains," Kurtz replied. "Oh. How is it out there?" Doug asked him. "Well, it's okay, but the weather is too... heh, natural and wild, I guess. I'm used to the controlled conditions here in Zootopia," Kurtz replied.

"You know, the Meadowlands doesn't exactly have a _controlled_ environment like the other sections of Zootopia," Doug said. "Yeah, but it's still home," Kurtz replied. "Right. And the two of you?" Doug asked. "We're actually _from_ the Western coast of Pangeosia. Commonwealth of Oakland," the one ram said. "That's nice, but your _names?_ " Doug asked them. "Michael Furlowe and Connor Woolton," Furlowe said, pointing between himself and Woolton.

"And the goat?" Doug asked, pointing at the Rocky Mountain Goat. "I'm Vincent McGinnley," the billy goat said. "McGinnley. Got it," Doug said. "Is this everyone in your group? And what do you call yourselves anyway?" Doug asked Welker. "First, no. This isn't everyone. We have four others waiting out by our current resting place, and you'll only get to meet them if you join us. Second, we are the Prey Liberation Front," Welker replied, staring Doug in the eyes.

"The Prey Liberation Front? Who the hell are you _liberating_ prey from?" Doug asked him. Welker raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked the ram. "Preds? Come on, I mean... yeah, I don't like 'em, but they don't exactly lord over us," Doug said. "Wrong," Welker said.

"Whether it's in the wild or here in civilization, predators always control the prey. They control populations, which is a necessity for non-sentient species, I'll admit, but out here? Look at them. Those fangs, talons, claws... even if they aren't eating us, they still devour plenty of other types of prey," Welker said.

"Uh, I hope you aren't gonna go into a 'predators eat living things' spiel, because the plants that we prey eat are technically living things too," Doug pointed out. "That's true, but still... have you seen the kind of damage that predators do when they control things? Think about all of the mobs and crime families out there. The vast majority of them are predators. How many crime bosses are prey? How many mobs are prey? Granted, you have a few sheep mobs out there, but those a few and far between," Welker said.

"Yeah, and they run everything, even if it doesn't look like it," Kurtz said. Doug rolled his eyes. He'd seen behind-the-scenes control, and he knew what it looked like. These animals were no different from Dawn, he realized. "Look, you said that we might profit from this if we do it right. Do _what_ right?" Doug asked Welker.

"We already told you, Doug," Kurtz said before Welker could speak. "But, if you want more details, let me spell it out. We're gonna make all of the preds either leave the mainland or live by _our_ rules," Kurtz said before pausing to let his words sink in. "They'll do what we want, when we want, and how we want. They look at prey funny, they get punished for it. They'll have their fangs and claws removed, and we'll make sure that they eat only what we permit them to eat. Prey rule the world. We outnumber predators ten to one, and it's time that we showed them who's in charge," Kurtz finished.

"And... how do you propose to do that?" Doug asked them curiously. "Well, we need special equipment to do what we need. We're gonna break into a police or military storage site and steal ourselves some guns," Welker said. "Guns? Like tranquilizer guns?" Doug asked him. "No, not like those. I mean lethal guns," Welker said.

"Lethals? Where are you gonna find those, outside of a police station?" Doug asked him. "Well, last year, the ZPD seized a ship in the Canal District, called the Vera Alus. The Vera Alus was being used by a crime boss name Arjun Rooter in order to smuggle drugs, money, and guns in and out of Zootopia. The police managed to intercept the ship before it could depart, and they confiscated all of the weapons and drugs onboard," Kurtz said.

"So, the police have to put those weapons somewhere, and I know for a fact that there are several equipment depots belonging to both the Pangeosian Self Defense Force and the Zootopia Police Department located throughout Sahara Square, Outback Island, and in Happytown," Kurtz continued. "Yeah, and we're gonna hit one of those spots either tonight or tomorrow," Welker said.

"And then what?" Doug asked him. "We start making demands. We tell the city that have to comply with our demands, or some animals are gonna get hurt, maybe even killed," Welker said. "What kind of demands?" Doug asked him. "First, they have to comply with some... legislature, to make things seem attainable," Welker said. "Okay. And after that?" Doug asked.

"We ask them to free Dawn Bellwether from prison. After that, we ask for money. And then we ask for them to release several prisoners who have been put away for deliberately killing predators. I have a list," Kurtz said. "Hold on, where does the money figure into this?" Doug asked him. "We need money for supplies, food, stuff that we need. Gas money, obviously," Welker said.

"Okay. But how will you make them listen? I mean, if you hit a school or something, they'll just send the cops after you," Doug said. "Let them. The cops only have tranquilizers and tasers," Welker said. "Not all of them. Nearly all of their detectives and SWAT officers have lethals," Doug countered.

"Is that right?" McGinnley asked him. "Yeah. They know how to use them too," Doug said. "I guess we'll have to keep our eyes and ears open, won't we?" Alexis said. "Yeah. If we die then we're martyrs, and if we survive then we're revolutionary heroes. But remember why we're doing this, guys. Power to the prey," Welker said. "Yeah! Power to the prey!" Alexis chimed in enthusiastically. "Power to the prey!" the others exclaimed.

Doug sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I'll join you, but on one condition," he said. "What's the condition?" Welker asked him. "I get paid," Doug said. "Deal," Welker said. "Good. Now, what's on the agenda?" Doug asked him.

* * *

**The Mayor's Office, City Hall**

Mayor Calvin Evarhyde, a zebra, looked out at the Zootopia Police Department across the central park. "I wonder what this place would look like if it snowed?" Evarhyde asked himself curiously. "Let's not find out. Just go to Tundra Town," Assistant Mayor Martin Grant, a beaver, said. "I think that it's an interesting idea," Evarhyde's personal aide, and onager named Carl Tosser, said enthusiastically.

"Yes, and when an initiative to modify Zootopia's environmental controls causes an increase in taxes, I'm sure the citizens will thank you for it," Grant said sarcastically. Evarhyde frowned at Grant's statement, but conceded that the beaver had a point. Just then, the phone on his desk rang, and Evarhyde walked over to pick it up. "Mayor's office, Mayor Evarhyde speaking," the zebra said.

"Yes, Chief Bogo," Evarhyde said with a grin. "I take it you informed the department about the new legislature and policies?" he asked the cape buffalo over the phone. "Very good," Evarhyde said, nodding his head after Bogo responded. He listened to Bogo speak for a little while, nodding his head as he sat down in his chair.

"Well, that's understandable. I mean, I certainly wouldn't want to give up my stripes or hooves; they're a part of my identity, but the thing is, Chief, we need to show the public that the police can be trusted," Evarhyde said. "Yes, I know, but I was recently given documents by a liaison regarding a certain individual who's currently in prison," Evarhyde said. "Yes, Lisker. I must say that I am quite surprised at how well you managed to keep that incident out of public knowledge for so long. I mean, some of your officers were recorded attacking Officer Wyler in public!" Evarhyde said.

"Oh, sorry. I meant to say Wilde, Chief. My apologies," the zebra said unconvincingly. "Well, it's just that the amount of power and control that those officers had is a bit... unnerving, especially amongst the City Council. Chief, all but one of those officers were predators, and-yes, I know they aren't all that way, but this is really just to reassure the public and the City Council. After all, they do have some involvement in the budget that the ZPD receives each year," Evarhyde said.

The zebra listened to Bogo continue speaking, moving his hooves in a way that mocked the buffalo as he spoke. Grant frowned at Evarhyde's behavior. "Look, Chief, I understand that many prey also have similar attributes, but there's just the fact that most of the recent crimes committed in the past few years, Bellwether's insidious plot not withstanding, have been caused by predators, and I need to reassure the public of their safety," Evarhyde said.

"I don't know how many different ways I can tell you the same thing, Chief," Evarhyde added in an annoyed tone. "Well, City Council drafted it and voted on it. I didn't initialize it," Evarhyde said in a rare moment of genuine honesty. "No, I _haven't_ seen any such requests from the Fifth Precinct at all this term, so how was I supposed to know that?" Evarhyde asked in response to something Bogo had said.

"Okay, I'll have Assistant Mayor Grant take a look at it. I have a meeting in an hour with some members of the planning committee for this year's Zootopia Heritage Festival," Evarhyde said as he looked at he took out his cell phone and looked at his schedule planner. "I'll be sure to have you involved in the next meeting with them. Bye," Evarhyde said before hanging up the phone.

"What a whiner," the zebra muttered. "He just doesn't appreciate what you're trying to do for this city," Tosser said. "Thank you for stating the obvious, but I'd figured that a fellow prey animal like him would see the benefits of this new policy. Not to mention, the press is going to have a field day with that stuff about those rogue cops from Tundra Town," Evarhyde added. "Are you sure it's wise to leak that information?" Grant asked him.

"Please, it's the freedom of the press. People have a right to know," Evarhyde said. "That's true, but perhaps we should have consulted with the ZPD before making that decision. And anyways, that stuff was years ago," Grant said. "It was only two years after Bellwether's imprisonment," Evarhyde retorted. "It wasn't _that long_ ago," he added.

"And don't forget about last year's incident with those mercenaries. They were all predators, and so were Mr. Big and the other mob bosses," Evarhyde said. "Um, some of the animals found on the boat were actually prey," Grant pointed out. "True, but they were confined to the boat. All of the damage done to Zootopia and its denizens was committed by predators, and the public knows this. You've seen the polls in the past few months," Evarhyde said.

"With the news of this scandal and the events of the last two years, the public is starting to doubt the ability of the ZPD to protect them, especially with so many predators among its ranks. This new policy will simply make Zootopia's prey population feel safer, especially since the ZPD has started accepting more... questionable animals into its ranks in the past few years, thanks to Lionheart's All Mammal Inclusion Initiative. Do you know that we currently have _six_ foxes working within the ZPD? Sure, most of them are in the Outback Region, but two of them are here on the mainland. Everyone knows about Wilde, but the others? The public's trust of the ZPD will wane even further once _that_ becomes public knowledge," Evarhyde said with a sigh.

"Of course I know. I was there at the graduation ceremonies," Grant said with an annoyed sigh. "And it doesn't bother you that this could undermine the support that the ZPD needs right now, especially coming off last year's debacle with Mr. Big and those Komodo Dragons? The ZPD needs public support, and we need the support of the ZPD, especially with Zootopia's Heritage Festival being right around the corner. Lionheart's All Mammal Inclusion Initiative is both a blessing and a curse," Evarhyde said.

"So then why not just repeal the initiative?" Tosser asked him. "Are you kidding!?" Grant exclaimed. "That initiative wasn't aimed solely at the police. It was for all government agencies and departments within Zootopia, to make sure that all of its residents can have their voices heard," Grant said with vitriol. "Grant's right, Tosser. Repealing that act would cause more harm than good," Evarhyde said.

"Especially since the public outcry would ensure that I only have one term, if even that," the zebra added as he reclined in his chair. "Right. Out of curiosity, Sir, why did you extend the deadline on that new predator officer policy?" Tosser asked him, having seen both the original draft and the final one. "Because forcing the police to go along with it in less than a month would cause more headaches than I care to deal with," Evarhyde said.

"Giving them until the end of the year at least gives them more time to come to terms with it and vent their anger before they can do something stupid to protest it," the zebra added as he grabbed a bottle of wine from under his desk and took a small sip before putting it back. "I guess we should be getting ready for that meeting then, shouldn't we?" he asked Tosser.

"Of course, Sir," Tosser replied as Evarhyde got out of his chair and made his way out of the office, leaving Grant behind. "Sure, leave _me_ with all of the paperwork again. Ungrateful bastards," Grant grumbled as he sat down at his desk and got to work.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct Three, Later That Evening...**

Judy parked the cruiser in front of the steps of the main station, turning off the engine before unlocking the doors and getting out to escort Clayworth inside the building. Nick walked alongside them quietly as they entered the building. "I can make my way around from here," Clayworth said as she walked away from the duo. "Thanks for your help today, but... never mind. It's nothing," she said before walking away.

"What was that all about?" Judy asked Nick. "I don't know. Anyway, let's go tell Hingle that we're done so that he can call Bogo and let him know that we're on our way," Nick said. "Yeah. Still, she seemed so energetic and eager this morning," Judy commented as they made their way to the elevator.

"Do you think it's always like this for her? Starting out each morning hoping that things will be different, only to face the same thing day after day?" Judy asked her husband. "Well... it's certainly possible, but we'd have to ask her," Nick said as they entered the elevator.

"So, what are we having for dinner tonight?" Nick asked Judy. "Hmm, we already ate that vegetarian lasagna that Clawhauser made for us," Judy said. "So... we can't just ask him to make another one. He needs his oven for his muffins and cookies, you know?" Nick said jokingly. "Well... I guess we could try that vegetable noodle medley that I have in the freezer. It's the one with that orange sauce," Judy said. "Hmm... I don't recall seeing that in the freezer at all," Nick said as they neared Captain Hingle's office. Judy knocked on the door before hearing the portly lion tell them to enter. "I take it that you may want to type up your daily report now?" Hingle asked them.

"Actually, it might be best for us to do it back in Precinct One," Judy said. "Of course, of course. Don't let me impose on ya. So, how were things today?" Hingle asked them. "Well... we pulled over some speeders and handed out some tickets. Most of the animals... look, you're probably going to need us to help Officer Clayworth for a few more days," Judy said with a sigh.

"I figured as much. Sometimes... I wonder if only Lisker were still around, he'd be able to help her out," Hingle said. "Uh... Lisker?" Nick asked skeptically, remembering how the wolf had framed him for assault and had another officer frame him for murder. "Well, you know, before all of that other stuff happened. He had that effect on recruits, you know? Helped shape them up and broke them in," Hingle said.

"I'm sure he did," Nick said through gritted teeth. "Oh, I... I know about what he did to you, and the others, Wilde. He deserved prison for that, but... I have to admit that I do miss him sometimes," Hingle said with a sigh. Judy faked a cough. "Right, well I guess I should let Bogo know that you're on your way back to the station and that you'll be finishing up your reports there," Hingle said.

"Thank you," Judy said with a nod before dragging Nick out of the lion's office with her. They quietly made their way back to the elevator. " _Oh, I miss Lisker so much! I wish he were here to make everything better!_ " Nick spat, mocking Hingle. "Nick," Judy said. "What?" he asked his wife as they rode the elevator.

"Nothing," Judy said. "I bet if Lisker _were_ here, he'd probably recruit Clayworth. It'd be easy, given how eager she is to prove herself. And Hingle would be none the wiser," Nick said bitterly. "Look, Hingle just has some fond memories of Lisker from before his actions were discovered," Judy said. "Yeah. I'll bet Lisker never framed _him_ for a crime that he didn't commit," Nick said with a frown.

"Nick, it's been four years," Judy said. "I know, but it still hurts to think about sometimes," Nick replied. "Nick, I've rarely heard you talk about what happened since then. I know you have difficulty opening up to people sometimes, but I'm your mate and wife. Please, talk to me about it. It doesn't have to be right now, but at least promise to open up about it in the future," Judy implored as the doors to the elevator opened and they made their way out through the lobby.

"Okay. We'll talk about it tonight at home," Nick said softly. They quietly exited the station and made their way over to the cruiser, getting in and locking the doors before Judy started the engine and backed out of the lot. The drive back to the station in Savanna Central was mostly quiet after that, save for Judy asking Nick what they would have for dinner that night. They both decided on spaghetti with tomato sauce. The vegetable noodle medley would have to wait until another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, this is the second chapter of Furry Fury. I'm going to have Finnick make an appearance in the next chapter or two, and you'll get to learn the secret name that I've made up for him! It's so secret... that it's a secret. And, hey, I finally mentioned Doug for the first time in any of these stories. Aren't you all overflowing with excitement?
> 
> As for Nick taking four years to talk about his feelings regarding the events of Magnum Fur with Judy? It just... seems like his personality. He spent at least two decades growing up on the streets, and sometimes... those behaviors ain't easy to shed. "Never Let them see that the get to you," was his motto for almost twenty years or so. Even around someone he loves, such as Judy, he's going to have a difficult time handling everything that he's got bottled up inside of him.
> 
> And yes, Mr. Tosser's name is symbolic.


	3. Tools, Guns, And Heavy Weaponry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prey Liberation Front hit their first target.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

* * *

**Tools, Guns, and Heavy Ordinance**

* * *

Date: Wednesday, September 18th, 2021

**East Savannah Apartments, Apartment 423**

Nick put the last plate on the rack for it to dry before hanging up the paw towel and making his way over to the bedroom, where Judy was waiting to talk to him after dinner. "Okay, Carrots, the dishes are done. I guess it's... uh, Carrots?" Nick asked as he saw his wife sitting on the bed, her eyes wide and staring off into the distance. She looked traumatized.

"Hey... you okay?" Nick asked her with concern as he approached her and sat down next to her on the bed. "Nick?" Judy asked him. "Yeah?" Nick asked in response. "You know how people sometimes call someone with their phone by accident?" Judy asked him. "Yeah, I'm very familiar with that," Nick replied.

"Well... my parents called me by accident while you were doing the dishes, on video chat," Judy said. "Okay... so, what? Did they... did your one grandfather call up on their phone and yell at you?" Nick asked her, concern heavy in his voice. "No, Nick. They called me by _accident_ ," Judy said. "Um... so, what's the problem?" Nick asked her.

"They accidentally called me... while they... while they were..." Judy held up both paws, with in the shape of a ring, and the other as a fist with one digit pointing out. She inserted the digit into the ring repeatedly. "They called you by accident during sex!?" Nick asked her incredulously, laughing. "It's not funny! I-I saw my dad's... my dad's... j-junk!" Judy stuttered in response. Nick laughed even harder.

"Oh! Oh my-ah-ha!" Nick laughed as he pulled his wife into a hug. "Aww, is my poor bunny honey wife traumatized for life?" he asked her. Judy pouted at him. "Hey, I know how to take your mind off of this. Why don't we talk about that time our colleagues tried to kill me after I was framed by a couple of complete bastards?" Nick suggested.

"I-I guess we _should_ get started, shouldn't we?" Judy asked him. "Carrots, you were the one who wanted me to open up about it," Nick reminded her. "I know, it's just... I don't know if the mood is right for it," Judy said. "Judy... I don't think there will ever be a time when the mood is _right_ for discussing me being framed and hunted down by our co-workers. Let's just... let's just get it out in the open so that this festering wound of mine can finally heal," Nick said softly, as he was both nervous and anxious regarding their impending talk.

As much as he didn't want to do it, he knew that he had to speak about his experience eventually, or else it would drive him crazy in the future. "Where... do you want to start? The beginning?" Judy asked him. "Okay. The beginning. First, the Earth cooled, and then multi-celled life forms started to evolve in the primordial ooze," Nick said.

" _Nick_ ," Judy said. "Sorry. Well, it started when I was on patrol with Hooper. He and I were discussing why he had defended me against the others that morning, and... about my fling with Cynthia-I mean, Furrero, and how he'd also slept with her at one time," Nick said. "Judy... were you... jealous at all after learning about her and my... Saturday night together?" Nick asked her. "Uh, maybe a little," Judy admitted.

"Huh. You know, it's kind of hazy, but I think I might have accidentally called Furrero by your name during one of our final rounds," Nick said sheepishly. "Really? And... how does this relate to Hooper's murder and you being framed?" Judy asked him, recognizing what was happening.

"Sorry, I... anyway, we were talking about that, and then about how most of the other transfers had always looked up to Lisker like a father figure, except for Hooper himself, and... then Pelton showed up, radioed in that Hooper was down, and then he attacked and killed Hooper. I-I tried to warn Hooper to raise the window when I saw Pelton bringing out his knife, but Maes... he wasn't fast enough," Nick said, frowning.

"Go on," Judy said, putting a paw on his shoulder. "Well... Hooper pulled out a taser and shocked Pelton before telling me to grab the bastard's bike and get out of there. I didn't know if Pelton would have killed me too had I stayed, and... and I didn't wanna find out," Nick explained. "It wasn't until I ran into another unit on patrol or something... that I realized how much everyone saw me as being an untrustworthy fox, especially Donner," Nick continued, his voice starting to carry an angry tone.  "Behind all of the smiles, behind all of the friendly waves and cheers, everyone still viewed me as nothing more than a shifty low-life, worthy of nothing more than scorn.  I was... I..." Nick buried his face in his paws before Judy put a paw on his shoulder.  "Take a minute if you need to," she said gently.  Nick sniffled and nodded his head before taking a breath and continuing.  "Right.  Donner," he said with a frown.

"He didn't just want to tranquilize me. He even tried running me over and smashing the cruiser into the bike after I'd parked it behind a traffic jam. He... he tried to kill me, without even hearing my side or even giving me a chance. It felt... I felt like I was back at the initiation for the Ranger Scouts, Judy," Nick said. "And do you know something? When I heard that Donner had been blown up alongside Martinez and Thurman last year... I... a small part of me... was... _happy_ ," Nick said, disgusted at himself. "I was... _happy_ that someone had-had died. I-I... sometimes I wonder if I actually deserve any happiness in my life," Nick grumbled, tears forming in his eyes.

"Oh, Nick," Judy said softly. "But it gets worse," Nick said as he looked her in the eyes. "Because, after hiding out at Dom's and being contacted by Milius, I... I learned that it wasn't just Pelton trying to throw suspicion away from himself. I learned that the whole thing had been orchestrated as part of a bigger plot," Nick said. "Do you know why I stayed with the ZPD after it was all over?" Nick asked her.

"Was it... me?" she asked him. "That was part of it. It was also so that every time I would walk in there, Donner and the others would see my face, and I could smirk at them and show them that they had been wrong. I wanted to make sure that they saw my face every time they were there, just to make sure that they knew that they couldn't get rid of me. I wanted to spite them. I wanted to spit in their faces. It was my own quiet way of telling them to go fuck themselves," Nick continued. "But even then, and even now... I sometimes wonder if they're just waiting for another person to frame me, and give them an excuse to-to... to get rid of me," Nick said with a shudder.

Judy remained quiet as Nick continued pouring his heart and soul out, eventually wanting to cry along with him.

* * *

**Pangeosian Defense Depot #021, Happytown, Zootopia**

It was almost nightfall as Joe Welker drove the van up to the main gate of the defense depot without a word, watching as the guard on duty ordered him to slow down the van before stopping. The guard, a male gray wolf, ordered Welker to get out of the vehicle. "Can I see some ID?" the guard asked the hare.

"Well, I'm actually lost," Welker lied. The wolf looked at the van and nodded his head. "Yeah. You guys don't make deliveries here. We have our own guys to do that. Where are you trying to go?" the wolf asked as he stepped out of his shack and walked over to the van. Welker parked the van and hopped out, walking over to the wolf.

"I'm trying to find this place called... what was it? Aeberson's, I think?" Welker lied smoothly, taking a map and another piece of paper out of his back pockets, making sure that his stolen uniform hid his knife. "Aeberson's? Do you mean Alberton's? You're quite a ways from there, sonny," the wolf said as Welker showed him the map. "I was told that it was in Happytown," Welker lied, showing the guard the map and distracting him as Kurtz and the others got out and quietly closed in on him.

It was only when the wolf felt the weight of his tranquilizer gun being lifted that he realized he had been set up. "What the-" "Yell and we kill you," Welker said as he brought out his knife and pointed it at the wolf. Kurtz held the guard's gun up to his head. "Even a tranquilizer can kill someone if the dosage is delivered directly to the brain," Kurtz said coolly. "What do you want?" the guard asked them.

"We want access to the depot. Give us your keys and access cards. We want the access codes and PIN numbers, and no funny business," Welker said firmly, slowly moving the knife so that it was now pointed at the wolf's crotch. "I can make this evening very unpleasant for you," Welker said as he gently prodded the wolf's pants with the tip of the blade.

The wolf gulped and looked around. "Don't howl. Don't yell for help. And _don't_ give us a fake access code that activates the alarms either," Kurtz warned. "Okay," the guard said quietly as he held his paws up in the air, allowing the two mammals to remove his keys and wallet. "Now, you're going to walk over here and give us the proper authorization codes to open the gate, and you're going to stay quiet unless we say otherwise, got it?" Welker said.

"G-Got it," the guard said nervously, nodding his head. "Good. Now, come on," Welker said, gesturing for the wolf to follow him back to the security shack. Stepping inside he motioned for the guard to open the gate. "We'd prefer that it be your own paw prints on here," Welker said quietly, but loud enough for the wolf to hear him. The guard nodded his head as he pressed the button to open the gate, noticing a gray female hare holding a taser as she glared at him.

The van, which was now occupied solely by two fallow deer, started its engine and drove through, passing the guard's shack. Inside the shack, Woolton took one of the keys from Welker and unlocked the door on the other side of the shack, giving them access to the interior of the depot. Woolton then tossed the key back to Welker.

"There. You have the cards and keys," the guard said. "Yes, but not the PIN numbers or other access codes," Welker said before grabbing a note pad and pen from the small desk next to a security monitor. "Write them down for each storage unit. I trust the units are listed with alpha-numeric designations?" Welker asked him.

"That's right," the guard said. "Write them down in order. Or give us a list that's already written down somewhere," Welker said. "What exactly do you want here?" the guard asked him after he finished his task. "I'm asking the questions, not you. Now, how many other guards are on duty tonight?" Welker asked him, jabbing him with the tip of his knife. "J-Just five others," the guard said.

"Are they expecting you to report back any time soon?" Welker asked him. "Not until the shift is over," the guard replied. "When is your shift over? And answer me honestly," Welker demanded. "One in the morning," the guard replied. "We've got four hours then," Welker said, nodding his head. He backed off a bit, and then the gray hare tased the guard in the neck, before Welker sliced his throat.

"Grab those porn magazines from under that cupboard. Spread them out and grab some bleach," Welker ordered her. The hare, named Donna Sorbo, nodded her head as she followed his orders. "The rest of you find the other guards and take them out... _quietly_ ," Welker added. The others all nodded their heads and dashed into the shadows near the storage buildings and sheds, searching for the other guards.

Welker, taking a look at the list given to him by the guard, smiled as he made a mental checklist of everything that his group was going to take tonight. Looking down at some of porn magazines that were still on the shelf, Welker made sure that no one was looking when he grabbed a few as well, rolling them up and stuffing them into his pants pockets. "Uh, what are you doing?" Kurtz asked him.

"Just getting some reading material... for later," Welker replied as he walked out of the shack and over to the van, waiting for the others to report back after finishing their task of eliminating the other guards.

* * *

**East Savannah Apartments, Apartment 423**

Judy gently rubbed her paw up and down Nick's head and neck, soothing him as he calmed down. He'd finally stopped crying and was now falling asleep, having let out all of the anguish and pain that he'd been holding onto since that incident. "Shh," Judy whispered into her husband's ears before kissing his forehead. "It's okay. They're gone. Blackwell and Pelton are gone, Nick. Lisker's in prison. They can't hurt you or anyone else anymore," Judy whispered reassuringly.

Nick sluggishly nodded his head as Judy heard his breathing start to even out. He was currently holding onto her midsection, and her shirt was completely soaked from his tears, as well as a mixture of her own. She had contemplated telling him about what Trunkaby had intended to do on that day, but had decided against it. He didn't need to know about it, not now.

"I love you, Nick. I'm not going anywhere or letting anyone take you away," Judy whispered into his ears as he drifted off into slumber land. Nick murmured something unintelligible as his eyes fluttered shut. Judy kissed the top of his head and continued rubbing her paw up and down his head, neck, and back. He was her fox, and she was going to make sure that no one ever hurt him like that again.

* * *

**Back At The Depot...**

Welker motioned for Woolton to stop the van and park it. The ram shut off the engine and got out of the cab, making his way to the back and opening the doors of the van. "You're sure that this is the right warehouse this time?" Woolton asked him. "Yes, Woolton. I'm positive. Go on back and see for yourself," Welker replied with a scowl. The ram quickly made his way over to the back of the warehouse.

Welker followed behind him, noticing the ram's expression at seeing the boxes and containers of guns and ammunition. The two fallow deer, Tom and Sara Valdez, were busy inspecting a crate full of submachine guns. "PR65's," Tom said. "These things are from Eurasia, man. Who exactly was smuggling these guns into Zootopia?" Sara asked.

"Mercenaries from Reptaelia," Welker said with distaste. "Ex-military types, huh? I guess these things must have armor-piercing rounds then," Tom said. "Not really," Kurtz said as he closed the lid on a crate of ammunition. "Most of these things have standard rounds. Only the high-end guns have anything like that," he added as he locked the lids on the crates and containers around him. "Let's get these loaded into the van," Kurtz said.

"Wait, I wanna pick something for myself before we leave," Donna said. "No, we'll wait until we've returned to the hideout. That way no one will notice these if drive through a busy street," Welker said. "Aww, come on! Just one pistol? Please?" Donna whined. "You can pick one, but you aren't carrying anything until we get back to the hideout," Welker relented.

"Yahoo!" Donna chirped joyously. "Uh, you do know the basic rules of gun safety, right?" Kurtz asked the gray hare as she opened a crate of guns. "Yeah, sure," she said nonchalantly. Kurtz frowned before walking over and shutting the lid of the crate. "Hey! What gives!?" Donna pouted. "What are the basic rules of gun safety?" Kurtz asked her in a serious tone.

"Don't pull it out or aim it at anything unless you intend to shoot. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Always be aware of your surroundings and what or whoever is behind your target. Never point the barrel of the gun at yourself. And always check to see if a gun is loaded, even if you just emptied it," Donna said in an annoyed tone, rolling her eyes with a sigh. "Good enough," Kurtz said before returning to his task of securing the ammunition containers.

"So, what kind of high-end guns did the mercenaries bring with them?" Welker asked as he walked over to a stack of containers. "Mid to long-range rifles. I think they all have custom modifications, though," Kurtz said before loading a few containers of ammunition onto a folding utility cart. He pushed the cart out of the room and over to the van, motioning for Furlowe to help him load the containers.

Back at the storage room, Welker was busy checking the containers of guns with John Keaton, a brown-furred hare. "Some of these are small-scaled. We can use these," Keaton said with a smile. "Damn right we can," Welker agreed. "But... I'm guessing that the ammo for these is going to be in shorter supply than the other guns. We'll have to save these guns for specific targets," Welker said. "Right," Keaton agreed, nodding his head.

"And, get this... I know exactly what our first target is going to be tomorrow," Welker said with a grin. "Ooh! Tell me," Keaton said. "Not yet. Once we get back to the hideout, I'll tell everyone. Now help me get this stuff loaded into the van," Welker said. "Hey... is there going to be enough room for us _and_ all of this stuff?" Keaton asked curiously. "I should think so," Welker said. "After all, we already got rid of all of those sodas," he added. "Yeah. We did," Keaton said in agreement, although he didn't remember exactly what they had done with the sodas after getting them out of the van.

"What did we do with them anyway?" Keaton asked Welker as he grabbed a utility cart and wheeled it over to the crates. "Do with what?" Welker asked him. "The sodas," Keaton clarified. "I don't remember, and that's not important anyway," Welker said. "Damn. I was hoping that we'd saved a few," Keaton said in disappointment before he started helping Welker load up the crates and containers. "Just get the stuff loaded into the van," Welker said.

An hour later, the group and loaded and arranged their supplies into the van. They cleaned the room with bleach and swept the floors and walls with a shop-vac from a nearby janitor's closet before leaving a small note in the empty warehouse, thanking the ZPD for not destroying any of the weaponry. They departed the warehouse, stopping only once so that the main gate could be closed. The group then took off again, vanishing into the night.

* * *

Date: Thursday, September 19th, 2021

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Chief Bogo picked up his phone with an annoyed sigh. "I can't even sit down for two seconds before I get interrupted," he muttered before pressing the talk button. "Hello?" Bogo asked. " _Hey, Chief. Listen, it's Captain Hemsfield talking,_ " a deer on the other end said. "Captain Hemsfield, how are you this morning?" Bogo asked tiredly.

" _I was doing fine until I got a call from the Pangeosia Defense Depot located here in Happytown. Someone broke in last night, killed six guards, and raided a supply warehouse,_ " Hemsfield relayed. Bogo's eyes widened at the news. "Are you serious?" he asked. " _Dead serious. Chief, the guys who called it in even found a note at the scene from the perpetrators. It thanked us for all of the_ _ **weapons**_ _that they took. The animals over there right now are looking through their inventory lists to figure out what was stored in that section of the warehouse,_ " Hemsfield said.

"I'll put someone on it right away," Bogo said. " _Good. Just don't take too long, though. This was a depot for our Defense Force_ _ **and**_ _the ZPD. That means we're missing some very dangerous guns, and we don't know where they are,_ " Hemsfield replied. "I'll call you as soon as I have someone to send down there. Just keep digging and find as much as you can. Bye," Bogo said before hanging up the phone. "What a great way to start the day," he said sardonically.

He then hit the com buttom for the front desk, knowing that Clawhauser had probably just finished getting situated. "Clawhauser, please respond," Bogo requested, trying to keep his voice even. " _ **Hey, Chief. What's up?**_ " Clawhauser asked him. "Clawhauser, do me a favor. As soon as Inspector Milius or someone who works in homicide clocks in, send them my way," Bogo said. " _ **Sure, Chief. I'll... I'll do that. What happened?**_ " Clawhauser asked him.

"You'll find out later. I need to keep this quiet as long as possible, though. That means I'll probably have to inform you last," Bogo said, knowing that Clawhauser had a penchant for gossip. " _ **I understand, sir. I'll send the first one I see up your way. Out,**_ " Clawhauser said.

**Thirty Minutes Later...**

Bogo rubbed his temples with a sigh before he heard the knock on his office door. "Come in," he called. The door opened and Inspector Milius strode inside, closing it behind him. "What's the story so far?" Milius asked him, sipping his coffee as he walked over and sat down across from the desk. "You may want to swallow your drink first, Inspector," Bogo said.

Milius raised an eyebrow in curiosity before putting his coffee on Bogo's desk and sitting back down. "Okay, what's the assignment?" Milius asked him. "Last night, someone broke into a supply depot for the ZPD and the PDF in Happytown. They killed six guards and stole an unknown amount of equipment from one of the warehouses in the depot," Bogo said.

"What kind of equipment?" Milius asked him. "I don't know at the moment," Bogo replied. Milius sighed in response. "Chief, you wouldn't have had Clawhauser send me up here right away if you thought someone had simply stolen some firecrackers or a couple of vests. What kind of guns are we talking about?" Milius asked him. "I don't know. The mess was only found this morning, a little after one o'clock. I just heard about it half an hour ago," Bogo said.

"You said this was in Happytown?" Milius asked him. "That is correct," Bogo said, nodding his head. Milius reached over and grabbed his coffee cup from Bogo's desk. "Do I get a partner, or am I flying solo?" Milius asked him before taking a sip of his beverage. "Do you want a partner on this one?" Bogo asked him. "Well, it depends on the severity, I guess. Let me go down there and I'll find out what's going on before I make any decisions," Milius said as he stood up and walked over to the door.

"I haven't dismissed you yet," Bogo said. "You made me think that this was urgent," Milius noted, looking back at the cape buffalo. "You're dismissed," Bogo said. "Thank you. Oh, and Chief? Please let me inform Captain Hemsfield in person that I'm on the case," Milius requested with a flash of his teeth. "You have thirty minutes before I call him to let him know," Bogo said.

Milius nodded his head and opened door, closing it behind him as he left the room and made his way down the hall and over to the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors opened, he hopped inside and chose the ground level, exiting just as swiftly before marching past Clawhauser at the front desk. "Good luck, Inspector. For whatever Bogo needs, I guess," Clawhauser said as he waved to the leopard.

Milius turned his head an nodded before pushing the front doors open and stepping into the sunrise. He quickly walked back over to his car and got inside. "Time to go say hello to Captain Bureaucrat," Milius said to himself as he started the engine and put his coffee in its holder before backing up and turning the car around to leave the parking lot.

The drive down to the depot was quiet and smooth, with traffic being relatively light, at least until he arrived at the last intersection before the entrance to the depot. There were several police cars and forensics units already established at the entrance. Parking his car near the the first mobile CSI lab, Milius got out and grabbed his coffee before making his way over to the entrance, where he saw and recognized Sergeant Carl Hawthorne, a cheetah, talking to two coyotes in traffic cop uniforms, no doubt giving them instructions for keeping traffic away while making sure that police officials could still get by.

As the two officers walked away from the cheetah, Milius glanced over through the chain-link fence and gate at the interior of the compound, where several warehouses were aligned and only a pawful of forensics investigators were setting up shop. "Excuse me, can I see some identification?" Milius snapped his attention to Sergeant Hawthorne. He reached inside his jacket and produced his badge and ID. "Inspector Conan Milius, Precinct One. I've been assigned by Chief Bogo to handle this incident," Milius said.

"Sorry, Conan. Didn't recognize you there without a jacket ugly enough to make me wanna claw my eyes out," Hawthorne said. "Yeah. My last one got... uh, roughed up beyond repair during a case," Milius said. "Yeah, I heard through the grape vine. You've been busy lately," Hawthorne said.

"Yeah. Look, as much as I'd like to catch up on old times, I was given the impression that this case is pretty urgent, so let's focus on that for now," Milius said. Hawthorne nodded his head in understanding. "Tell me, is Captain Hemsfield around here?" Milius asked him. "No. He's back at the station," Hawthorne replied. "Damn. I was hoping to say hello to him in person," Milius said with a wry smirk. "Well, it's probably best if you just follow me to the crime scene," Hawthorne said. "At least call him to let him know that someone's been assigned to the case," Milius said.

"And you were the one who wanted to skip the pleasantries," Hawthorne commented as he led Milius over to his squad car. It was an older vehicle, not as large or spacious as the cruisers that were used in the other precincts, and it wasn't as modular in its design either. It was designed for smaller animals, such as canines and certain felines, which meant that larger officers such as rhinos and elephants weren't able to use them. It had a very old and rustic look to it, in spite of its upkeep.

"Dispatch, this is Unit One-Beta-Three-Two, over," Hawthorne said. " _Ten-Four, Unit One-Beta-Three-Two. What is your status? Over,_ " Dispatch asked him. "Please inform Captain Hemsfield that Inspector Milius has arrived from Precinct One and is now taking charge of the investigation of our crime scene. Over," Hawthorne said. " _Ten-Four. We will inform Captain Hemsfield ASAP. Dispatch Out._ " "Ten-Four, Hawthorne out," Hawthorne said before putting the radio back on its holster.

"There, now can we please proceed to the crime scene?" Hawthorne asked Milius. "Sure," Milius replied before following the cheetah back over to the entrance of the depot, walking over to the front gate and passing through the security shack. "The first guard was found in here. He had taser marks on his head and a deep slice in his throat. He bled out to death," Hawthorne said, remembering what the CSI team and first-shift guard had told him.

"Who found him?" Milius asked. "Morning shift. _Early_ morning shift," Hawthorne said. "Did they also find the others as well?" Milius asked him. "Yeah, along with the biggest problem we have," Hawthorne said. "The ransacked warehouse?" Milius asked him. "Yep. I have someone looking through the inventory records for this warehouse, but I haven't heard back from them yet," Hawthorne replied as he led Milius over to the warehouse. "Watch your step. We found tire tracks in the dirt, and CSI has been very particular about not letting those get contaminated," Hawthorne said.

"Right," Milius muttered before taking another sip of his coffee. Following the cheetah inside, he walked past several sections where small signs of pilfering had occurred, such as boxes of bullet-proof vests and other small items. "Here," Hawthorne said as he stopped in front of the nearly empty holding room, with only a pawful of crates left intact. "There's a note on one of the crates, which the early shift touched with their claw-tips, keeping their prints off of it, thankfully," Hawthorne said.

"What doe the note say?" Milius asked him. Hawthorne pulled out his phone and showed him a picture that had been taken of the note. "Dear blah, blah, blah... sincerely, The Prey Liberation Front? Who the hell are they?" Milius asked him. "The animals who did this," Hawthorne replied. "No shit, but I meant _who are they?_ " Milius asked him. "I don't know. We're still searching for fur samples and paw prints, but... a ton of bleach was used, and that vacuum cleaner over there was supposed to be in a closet, meaning that these guys didn't take any chances," Hawthorne said.

"Shit. They actually took the time to clean up after themselves? What was the time of death for the guards?" Milius asked him. "Coroner units put their times of deaths around nine pm, give or take a few minutes," Hawthorne said. "What time did the morning shift arrive?" Milius asked him. "Around one am," Hawthorne replied. "Plenty of time. They must've known how long they'd have. That means they've been watching this place for a while," Milius surmised.

"Possibly. Or they just got really fucking lucky," Hawthorne said. "Yeah, that too," Milius said in agreement. "So, we have a name, or at least an alias for either an individual or a collection of individuals, but no prints and no fur or scales to collect DNA," Milius said with a frown. "And we still don't know exactly what equipment they absconded with either," he added.

Just then, Hawthorne's phone rang. Milius glanced at him. "This ringtone is for work-related calls," Hawthorne said as he took out his phone and answered it. "Uh-huh. Actually, there is," he said into the phone. "An inspector, from Precinct One. You want to tell him?" Hawthorne asked. Milius's ears perked and he tilted his head in curiosity.

Hawthorne held the phone out to Milius. "It's my records guy. He found what was being stored here," Hawthorne said. "Good," Milius said before taking the phone. "This is Inspector Milius. What've you found?" he asked. " _Well, that section of the warehouse was being used for holding a large number of various weapons that had been confiscated by the ZPD over a year ago, from a cargo ship in the Canal District called the Vera Alus,_ " the officer on the other end said.

A troubled expression overcame Milius's face. "Did you say... Vera Alus?" Milius asked him. " _Yeah. It's a cargo ship used by UNI-World Shipping. After the incident at the docks last year, it was pulled out of service and given a new crew and inspection overhaul. It was just cleared for duty again about a month ago at the Peorth Shipyards in Eurasia, where the United Territories Trade & Services Committee is headquartered,_" the officer said on the other end.

"Th-That's nice, but I don't care about the status of the ship. I care about the weapons that had been confiscated from it. Do you have an inventory list of everything that had been confiscated?" Milius asked. " _Yes. There's a detailed log containing every item that was catalogued by the ZPD after the ship was seized._ " Milius took a deep breath.

"Okay, make a copy of this list, and send it to every precinct and police station in Zootopia. I want everyone from Outback Island to Tundra Town to have a copy of this list. No exceptions," Milius said. " _I'll get right on it. Do you want me to send a copy to both your own office and Chief Bogo's at Precinct One, or just yours?_ " the officer asked. "Both," Milius replied tersely.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Inside the briefing room, otherwise known as the bull-pen by the officers of the First Precinct, Sergeant Eric Burns stood in front of everyone. "Okay, some of you may have noticed that Chief Bogo is not down here yet. He's put me in charge of handing out assignments and docket reading for the morning," the tiger said. "So, let's get started. "Wilde and Wilde, you're both going to Tundra Town for that... thing with the new officer," Burns said, not having been made aware of the details surrounding their assignment.

"Uh, for myself... parking duty. Oh, _happy day_ ," Burns said sardonically. Some of his fellow officers, Nick and Judy included, snickered. "Anyway, moving on. Trunkaby, you have patrol in Downtown. Fangmeyer, you and Grizzoli have some paperwork that needs to be turned in before noon," Burns said. "McLeod and Fursfield, you're both still helping out with those traffic officers on that turn-off ramp thing," Burns said.

"Wolford, you have patrol near Central Station. Woolsworth, you have parking duty with me. Sucker," Burns said. "Clawhauser... isn't in the room. Okay... who's taking over front desk duty today?" Burns asked himself as he looked at the list. "Anderson, you have desk duty today. So, please go get Clawhauser and bring him in here," Burns said. The polar bear nodded his head and rose from his seat before making his way out of the room. "Oh, you also have some paperwork to finish up as well. It's for that incident with the broken headlight on Cruiser One-Delta-Four-Seven," Burns said. Anderson nodded his head before closing the door.

"Johnson... has off today, and is not here right now," Burns said as he looked at the list. "Uh... already did Wilde and Wilde... Kingsley, you have patrol in Sahara Square, with Rhinowitz," Burns said. The hippo nodded his head. "Higgins... you're with Rico in the Rainforest District today," Burns said. The hippo nodded his head, as did Rico, a gray wolf. "McHorn, you are on patrol in Tundra Town. Uh, please provide assistance to Wilde and Wilde if they need it. And vice versa for you guys. Help him if he needs it," Burns said.

"Dorman, you have parking duty in Sahara Square. You poor bastard," Burns said with with a snicker. Dorman groaned in dismay, but otherwise said nothing in response. "Uh... Fangton, you have patrol today in the Meadowlands... with Clawhauser," Burns said, just before the door opened and said cheetah walked into the room. "I heard my name. Did I miss the assignment?" Clawhauser asked nervously. "Not yet. Clawhauser, you have patrol today with Fangton in the Meadowlands. Snarlof, you and Delgato have patrol in Sahara Square," Burns said.

Burns continued reading off the rest of the assignments before dismissing everyone. As Nick and Judy exited the room, they heard Clawhauser animatedly discussing his assignment with Fangton. "Do you know how rarely I get to go on patrol?" Clawhauser asked the tiger. "No, Clawhauser. No, I do not," Fangton replied flatly. "Like, super rarely!" Clawhauser exclaimed.

* * *

**Somewhere In The Meadowlands**

Looking at a very large and detailed map of Zootopia, Welker used a marker to circle their first target. "The first thing we do is set up our insurance in these key locations," Welker said as he circled more locations. "Then, once we've successfully completed that phase of the operation, we acquire a large quantity of Night Howlers from a secure location. We're going to use those as part of a contingency plan, so that if we are ever compromised or , we can dump those into Zootopia's main water lines, bringing the whole city to its knees and ensuring that the whole world knows that the idea of predators and prey living together as equals is insanity," Welker finished.

"Uh, I hate to point it out to you, but the city has multiple waterlines devoted to each specific region. Yes, there are main water lines that go through the whole mainland, but if someone gets to the shut-off valves in time, they can easily circumvent this plan," Doug pointed out. "And, another thing, Outback Island has _no_ connected water lines to the mainland. They have their own water treatment facilities and maintenance sites that are completely separate from the mainland. You'd have to physically go to Outback Island in order to introduce the serum to those water lines," Doug said.

"As long as no one knows that we have the Night Howlers, it won't matter," Welker said. "And besides, those water treatment plants on Outback Island must draw water from the ocean or the inlet surrounding the mainland, right?" Welker asked him. "Uh... about that. See, Night Howlers don't really work very well when mixed with salt water. And the amount of salt water surrounding Outback Island and Zootopia is large enough to dilute any amount of serum dumped into it. That's why I had to dart predators directly for Bellwether's plan," Doug explained.

"And just how much would we need in order for it to affect the water supply for Zootopia, assuming we can dump it into the freshwater basins used by the treatment plants?" Welker asked him. "The amount of Night Howler serum that you'd need to dump into that water in order to have any noticeable effect would be... at least three-fourths the amount of water that's in the basins themselves, since you plan on spreading it throughout the whole city," Doug replied.

"Well, I'm sure that you can recreate the old serum, right?" Woolton asked him. "Uh, no. No, I can't. I don't have my lab equipment, and I had to spend months gathering the individual materials and safety equipment separately without drawing attention to myself. It would take too long to setup a lab, get the plants, and then make enough serum for this plan, based on your time tables anyway," Doug finished. "Yeah, I think he's got a point there," Donna said.

"Yeah, and the police have to have noticed what happened the depot by now," McGinnley said. "We need to start working on Plan-A, and then we can start moving onto the next phase," Kurtz said. "Fine. Let's get those detonators and explosives all gathered up and head out. We'll work in pairs, with one person setting up the explosive while the other one watches for interlopers," Welker said. "Remember, try to attract as little attention as possible," Welker said.

* * *

** Pangeosian Defense Depot #021, Happytown, Zootopia, An Hour Later...   
**

"Holy shit," Milius said as he looked at the inventory list for what had been stolen. "Twenty-four PR65 submachine guns and accessories. Modular extended barrels, sound suppressors, laser sights, modular stock extensions, interchangeable grips, and twenty cases of standard ammunition, with twelve magazines per case. Only six cases were left behind last night," he said as he read the inventory list out loud. He was sitting down at a desk inside the depot's main office, along with several other officials.

The Main inventory list could be shown as this:

24 PR65 SMGs; 20 cases of standard ammunition; 12 32-round magazines per case.

8 PR65 SMGs missing; 10 ammo cases missing.

8 Micro-UZI submachine guns; ten cases of standard ammunition; 12 24-round magazines per case.

All Micro-UZI SMG's missing; All ammo cases missing.

10 Smythe & Weasel M1911 service pistols, 9x19mm rounds; 10 cases of ammunition; 12 8-round magazines per case.

All M1911 pistols missing; 8 cases of ammunition missing.

10 Bearretta 92FS pistols, 9x19mm rounds; 10 cases of ammunition, 12 9-round magazines per case.

6 Bearretta 92FS pistols missing; 4 cases of ammunition missing.

12 Smythe & Weasel .44 Magnum revolvers; six regular, 4 snub-nose, 1 Saturday Night Special, and 1 King Magnum Classic; 10 cases of ammunition; 12 6-round fast-loaders per case.

All Smythe & Weasel revolvers present; no missing ammunition containers.

6 XD-763 Commando SC assault rifles; 2 small-scale, 2 medium-scale, 2 large-scale; 7 cases of ammunition; 6 32-round magazines per large-scale case, 8 24-round magazines per medium-scale case, 12 8-round magazines per small-scale case. 12 12-round magazines of High-Explosive tip rounds for large-scale case.

2 small-scale and 1 medium scale XD-763 Commando SC assault rifle missing; 5 cases of ammunition missing, HE-tip round case included.

10 M4 carbines; 10 cases of 5.56x45mm ammunition; 12 28-round magazines per case.

All M4 carbines present; all ammo cases present.

8 M71 grenade launchers; 8 cases of ammunition.

All M71 grenade launchers missing; all ammo cases missing.

6 Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapons; 4 cases of ammunition.

All SMAWs missing; all ammunition missing.

40 lb of C-4 plastic explosive compound; 12 remote detonation devices and transmitter/transceiver sets and charges; 36 individual sticks of dynamite; 36 High-Explosive fragmentation grenades; 18 flash-bangs; 24 smoke grenades; 17 flares.

All explosives and associated equipment missing.

"Well, isn't _that_ just _wonderful!?_ " Milius spat before he called up Chief Bogo. " _Chief Bogo speaking,_ " Bogo said. "Chief, I just looked at the inventory list for what was being stored here, and was the weaponry that we'd confiscated from the Vera Alus last year," Milius said. " _Are you certain?_ " Bogo asked. "I'm positive. The only things that aren't missing are the larger rifles and carbines, and about half of the small arms. Everything else has been taken, including over forty pounds of plastic explosives," Milius said. "Chief... we are in big trouble."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, this seems like a good place to end the chapter. In the next chapter, our villains strike their first major target, Officer Clayworth meets Finnick, Clawhauser annoys Fangton, and the Grinch learns the true meaning of Christmas from a magic alien unicorn. One of these does not actually happen, but can you guess which one?


	4. It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy continue helping Officer Clayworth, while Prey Liberation Front have their first encounter with officers of the ZPD.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is the property of Disney.

* * *

**It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood**

* * *

Date: Thursday, September 19th, 2021 

**Somewhere In Tundra Town**

Sitting in the cruiser, Judy looked in the rear-view mirror at Officer Clayworth, while Nick held the speed scanner in his paws. He also had a small book that was issued to Precinct Three officers, which went into detail regarding weather conditions, road conditions, and the safety precautions that officers of the ZPD were expected to use when in certain areas. "Huh. I did not know that," he muttered to himself as he flipped a page before looking at the speed scanner, then the road, then the speed scanner, and then finally back down at the open book.

Judy, however, was focused on the general demeanor of Officer Janet Clayworth, who seemed rather subdued compared to the previous day. "So... Clayworth, do you live here in Zootopia, or are you from outside of the city?" Judy asked the arctic vixen. "Oh, I'm from Zootopia. I live in a housing section near Frost Lake," Clayworth replied.

"Frost Lake? I think I've been there once. Isn't that the large lake with a forest next to one of the border mountains?" Judy asked her. "Um... that could describe any number of lakes out here. But, no. Frost Lake isn't situated near any of the mountains," Clayworth replied. "Oh. So, how long have you wanted to be a police officer?" Judy asked her.

"Since I was a kit, I suppose," Clayworth replied. "Really? Same here!" Judy said with a smile. "I remember when I was still in Bunnyburrow, I would go around and give 'tickets' to various wheelbarrows and crop carts that weren't perfectly aligned or were to close to crops on my family's farm," Judy said. "What kind of crops did you grow?" Clayworth asked her. "Oh, my family grows lettuce, carrots, blueberries, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, and celery," Judy replied.

"I don't think that's all of them," Nick commented, looking up from the speed scanner. "Well, those are the most prominent vegetables," Judy responded. "Um, Sergeant Wilde, is it true that carrots are a bunny's favorite food?" Clayworth asked her. "Um... despite the claims of comedian Bugs Warner, no. We popularize the sale of carrots, but those things are high in sugar, and... well, bunnies who are very energetic do tend to eat them by the ton, but our most favorite food is lettuce," Judy said.

"Are you serious? Then why is it that half of the food sent to us by your family is carrots and blueberries? I mean I love the blueberries, but if lettuce is really your favorite then why don't they send us more lettuce?" Nick asked her. "Because I prefer carrots, even if lettuce is healthier," Judy retorted. "Works for me," Nick said with a shrug before returning his attention to the speed scanner.

A minute later, a large van went flying past them, loud music blaring from inside. "He's over the speed limit!" Nick exclaimed. Judy put the cruiser into high gear and and started the engine before turning on the sirens, pulling onto the road and going after the speeding van. The van soon pulled over after a minute and Judy parked the cruiser behind it. "Officer Clayworth, let's give this one a try," Judy said.

Clayworth nodded her head before getting out of the cruiser and walking up to the van, which was about the size of the cruiser, although for small animals it was quite large. There was also a portrait on the side of it, with two canines in some kind of ancient armor or clothing. Walking up to the cab, Clayworth motioned for the driver to lower their window, allowing her to see the diminutive form of a dwarf Fennec fox.

"License and registration, please?" Clayworth asked firmly. "Are you serious?" the driver asked her. "Yes sir. And I _am_ a real cop, before you say anything," she said firmly. "Fine. Here," the driver said as he handed her his papers and license. "Thank you, mister... Marion Finster?" Clayworth read aloud. "It's Finnick! The name is _Finnick!_ " Finnick snapped at her.

Clayworth stepped back at Finnick's outburst, quickly nodding her head before retreating to the cruiser and running the papers through the small netbook that was connected to the ZPD database. "Let's see... Mr. Finnick-I mean, Marion Finster..." she said, prompting Nick and Judy to both look back at her. "What was that name?" Nick asked her, having finally recognized the van that they had pulled over. "Uh, Marion Finster," Clayworth said. "I never thought this would be how I learned his real name," Nick said to himself in amazement.

"Wait... you don't mean that we pulled over _Finnick_ , do you?" Judy asked her husband. "You guys know him?" Clayworth asked them after she ran the license and registration through the system. "Uh... yeah. He used to be my partner when I was a hustler," Nick said. "Nick would have Finnick dress up as a child for their different schemes," Judy explained. "Not all of them... just the majority," Nick said sheepishly.

"Well, anyway, his license was renewed about a month ago at the Z-DOT facility located on Outback Island, and this looks like his first infraction in... three years," Clayworth said as she retrieved Finnick's license and registration before heading back over to the van. "Here you are. I'm giving you a warning right now, Mr. Finster. These roads can be very dangerous and black ice can form around most of the curves in December, so drive at the speed limit. Have a nice day," Clayworth said after returning the card and papers to the fox.

She quickly got back in the cruiser and buckled her seat belt before Nick and Judy pulled out and drove around Finnick's van. Nick looked over and saw the Fennec fox watching the vehicle as it passed him. "You know, I think that's the first time I've ever had to pull over Finnick," Nick said.

"I wonder what he's doing out here in Tundra Town?" he asked rhetorically as Judy drove the cruiser up to a legal U-turn section before turning the cruiser around. "Who knows. Maybe he's getting some pawpsicles prepared. I mean, you guys used to come out here and pour melted jumbo pops into paw-prints in the snow to make your treats, right?" Judy replied as she back, looking to her left to see Finnick pulling back onto the road and driving away.

"Eh, probably. I'd forgotten about that, actually," Nick said. "So, how was your first pull-over that didn't result in someone ignoring your authority?" Nick asked Clayworth. "Well... it felt better than yesterday did," she replied, slightly embarrassed by having a spotlight put on her.

"Say... I wonder how Clawhauser's doing? He's on patrol today, right?" Nick asked Judy. "Yep, and with Officer Fangton," Judy replied. "Do you think Clawhauser's gotten donut crumbs all over the inside of the cruiser, or is Fangton keeping him in check?" Nick asked her. "No idea."

* * *

**Brickle Bush Street, The Meadowlands**

Benjamin Clawhauser set Fangton's cup of coffee down in the center console before getting in and closing his own door, holding his own cup with one paw before grabbing his seat belt and buckling it. "So, did I get the right flavor?" Clawhauser asked the tiger. "Uh... yeah," Fangton replied after taking a sip of the coffee. "Yeah, you got the right flavor," he said again, nodding his head at the portly cheetah.

"So... anything happen while I was in the shop?" Clawhauser asked him. "Nope. It's been the same way all day. Nothing _has_ happened today. Nothing _is_ happening today. And it's likely that nothing _will_ happen today," Fangton said with a bored sigh. "Well, I'm sure some peace and quiet isn't all that bad," Clawhauser said as he sipped his vanilla caramel iced coffee.

"I mean, especially after all of the... _incidents_ involving mercenaries over the past three years," Clawhauser added. "Yeah," Fangton said, bored. "Look... I'm sorry that you have to babysit me out here in a place where nothing ever happens, but... I wasn't even aware that this was gonna happen today until Anderson spoke to me this morning," Clawhauser said.

"I'm not _blaming you_ , Clawhauser. Not for anything that you can't control," Fangton said as he looked out the window at the various sheep, rabbits, hares, and goats that were walking around the cobblestone streets and sidewalks of the Meadowlands quieter business areas. "So... I'm not the source of your frustration? Oh. Part of why I got you this coffee was to make amends, but... well, I guess that's some weight off my shoulders, right?" Clawhauser asked him.

"Ben... we have to get our claws filed and fangs removed by the end of the year," Fangton said in a bitter tone as he brought a paw up to his face and looked at his retractable claws. "I just... I don't get how they think they can make us do that," Fangton said. "They didn't ask Bogo or McHorn to file or shave their horns off. They didn't ask any of the heavier animals to wear padding on their feet in case they step on someone," Fangton said with disdain.

An expression of sorrow and understanding came over Clawhauser's face. "Yeah, I-I just tried not thinking about it after hearing it. I guess I keep hoping that if I ignore it... maybe it'll go away. That's not going to work, though. [Sigh] I wish... I miss Mayor Thorneberry. He was an odd deer, wasn't he? But boy if he wasn't personable," Clawhauser said in reminisce. "Yeah. I miss his eccentricity; it was _smashing_. Heh. It's a shame that Evarhyde was able to use the mercenary incidents to make people think that Thorneberry didn't have their safety in mind," Fangton said.

"Well, Evarhyde isn't all bad. He hasn't put curfews on predators or forced us to wear muzzles or shock collars," Clawhauser said. "Yet. Just wait. The moment someone pleads for it, he'll give in and make us wear them," Fangton said bitterly. "Oh, come on! No he won't," Clawhauser replied. Fangton raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "You really don't think so?" he asked Clawhauser.

"Well... not really. I mean, he hasn't even been in office for a full year yet. Let's give him a bit more time and see what happens," Clawhauser said before sipping his coffee. "You're way too forgiving," Fangton said. "That's just who I am," Clawhauser said. "Hey, is everyone still on for that card game this Saturday?" Clawhauser asked Fangton. "Yeah, although I think Johnson might not come. His mother is still in the hospital with that lion flu thing," Fangton said.

"I thought he said that his mother had pneumonia?" Clawhauser said. "Well, you were the only one to hear from him directly. Guess that-oh, it was Sergeant _Gibson_ who has the flu! My mistake," Fangton said. "Yeah. Chief Bogo sent him away as soon as he saw him. Poor guy actually tried coming into work with the flu! Like a male version of Hop-I mean, Judy Wilde if I ever saw one," Clawhauser said.

"Yeah. What exactly are the Wildes doing in Tundra Town?" Fangton asked him. "Oh, I overheard Captain Hingle asking Bogo to send them over there so that they could help out with a new recruit. I don't know any other details, except that Hingle said something about animals not taking the rookie seriously since they've been there," Clawhauser said. "Who's the rookie?" Fangton asked him. "I have no idea. Hingle kept the details pretty vague when I heard him speak, so... I don't know," Clawhauser said, shrugging his shoulder.

"Wow, for once you don't have all the juicy details on something. The sky must be falling," Fangton quipped with a chuckle. Clawhauser chuckled as well. "So... who else is coming to the card game this weekend?" Clawhauser asked Fangton. "Uh... Anderson, Fangmeyer, Wolford, McLeod, and Fursfield," Fangton replied. "Huh. I wonder how McLeod and Fursfied are doing right now? I know that road construction takes a while, especially in the Rainforest District," Clawhauser said.

* * *

**The Rainforest District**

Officer Thomas McLeod stood in front of Hans Fursfield and several construction workers, a mix of capybara and deer, with a miserable look on his face. He was drenched, covered from head to foot, in water. "How can a single puddle hold this much water?" he asked himself with a frown. Fursfield chuckled at his misfortune. "I told you to keep the rain jacket on," Fursfield said with a smirk.

* * *

**The Mayor's Office, City Hall**

"What do you mean we can't put out a city-wide alert!?" Chief Bogo asked Mayor Evarhyde incredulously. "I'm not saying that you can't put your officers on alert, but I don't want any of the media hearing about this and spreading panic," Evarhyde said. "You only know that things were stolen. Do you know who took them, and where?" Tosser asked the Chief.

"Things? These weren't just _things_ , Mr. Tosser! We are talking about military-grade weaponry and equipment! We've seen what this stuff can do!" Bogo retorted. "And what do you know about the animals who took these weapons?" Evarhyde asked him. "All we know is that they call themselves the Prey Liberation Front. We don't know anything else about them. No names, no species, no numbers," Bogo replied.

"So... you come to us and talk about these people stealing weapons, but you have almost no information other than the name of the group and what was stolen? Chief, I think that you should put more focus on investigating these Prey Liberation animals than on telling the public. At least... wait until you have more information. If the public doesn't know anything, then they can't really help the ZPD in finding these animals, can they?" Evarhyde asked him.

"Sir, I would like to put in a request for the Pangeosian Defense Force to provide us with National Guard officers and equipment in order to find these animals and protect the citizens of Zootopia," Bogo said. "No. That would just bring too much attention to this," Evarhyde said. "But-" "Chief Bogo, have you considered the possibility that military presence could cause these... terrorists, right? Have you considered that these terrorists might panic and start attacking civilians if they discover military presence in Zootopia? What if they take hostages and demand that said military presence be removed?" Evarhyde asked him.

"Well... I hadn't thought of that," Bogo admitted. "No. And look, Chief, I understand that you want to keep the citizens of Zootopia safe, but calling for the military this soon is jumping the gun. They should really only be used as a last resort, or an ace. We can try negotiating, and if that doesn't work, _then_ we bring in the military to force these terrorists to capitulate," Evarhyde said.

"Excellent idea, sir," Tosser said. "Shut up, Tosser," Evarhyde said. "Yes sir," Tosser said. "These people stole military hardware. I don't think they're going to negotiate with us. We don't even know how to contact them," Bogo said. "I'll have Captain Hemsfield put on the case, to help you," Evarhyde said. "I already have Inspector Milius working on the case," Bogo said.

"Oh, I've heard about him," Evarhyde said. "Yes... he seems a bit excessive in regards to force," Tosser added. "Yes. We've looked at his file, Chief. There have been a lot of complaints about his conduct towards various suspects and civilian bystanders in the past," Evarhyde said with a frown. "Milius was part of the team that investigated Arjun Rooter and confiscated his weapons from the Vera Alus. He was almost killed during the operation. He has literally put his life on the line for this city," Bogo said.

"Yes, yes he has. But... his methods are highly questionable, as are those of other officers. Chief, I don't doubt that the force Milius uses may be necessary when confronting extremely dangerous individuals, but I think that someone of a higher rank and with more experience should be placed in charge of this investigation. Someone with more restraint," Evarhyde said.

"Hemsfield?" Bogo asked him. "Yes. I already told you that I want Hemsfield put on this, and he's made quite some progress in the Happytown District recently," Evarhyde said. "He's put a lot more criminals behind bars, and he's made those streets safer for... everyone," Evarhyde said, catching himself before he could say the word 'prey'.

"I'll put him on the case, but I still want the military to be alerted to this incident. After all, their equipment is stored at our depots as well," Bogo said. "Yes. I do believe that you are correct in that regard. You may alert them to the situation, but only tell them the facts. No assumptions about anything. If we have to call them in, then I want them to have the right tools for the job, not too much and not too little," Evarhyde said.

"I understand, Mayor Evarhyde," Bogo said. "Thank you. Oh... Assistant Mayor Grant managed to get those forms from Precinct Five looked at yesterday. He's getting everything straightened out, so you can inform Captain Ross when you have the time," Evarhyde said. "Thank you, sir," Bogo said with a nod before leaving the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Evarhyde asked rhetorically as he sighed and reclined in his chair. "Well, I think that-" "That was rhetorical," Evarhyde interrupted. "Oh, sorry," Tosser said.

* * *

**Later That Evening...**

"Well, we ought to get back to the station now," Fangton said as he looked at his watch. "Yeah," Clawhauser said with a yawn as he stretched. "Boring as hell out here," Fangton muttered as he turned on the engine and drove the cruiser onto the main road, heading for the freeway. "Man... I don't get this tired even when I'm sitting at the front desk," Clawhauser said.

"Of course not. You have all of those sugary snacks to keep you awake. Hey... are you-never mind," Fangton said. "Am I what?" Clawhauser asked him. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Fangton said. "No, go on. I'd like to know what you wanted to ask me," Clawhauser insisted.

"Well... I wanted to know if... Clawhauser, are you diabetic?" Fangton asked him. Clawhauser had an embarrassed look on his face. "Y-Yes," he muttered. "Sorry. It's just... well, with the way that you eat all of those sweets... a few of us have had betting pools on it," Fangton said apologetically. "I know," Clawhauser said. "Wait, you already knew?" Fangton asked him.

"Oh, I've known for years about those betting pools," Clawhauser said. "I'm not called the king of gossip for nothing," he added with a smirk. "So... which type?" Fangton added. "Well, my body has low blood sugar, and I do take medication for it, but I never do it where anyone can see," Clawhauser said. Fangton nodded his head, and the rest of the drive to the station was left in silence, until they passed through the transitional tunnel to Tundra Town.

"We're not going through the Rainforest District?" Clawhauser asked Fangton. "Nope. Besides, we might see Wilde and Wilde, and then we'll find out who that rookie is that they're helping. Don't you wanna find out?" Fangton asked him. "Well... I guess I _am_ a bit curious," Clawhauser admitted.

Driving towards an intersection, Fangton saw a white delivery van parked alongside the road, and a mountain goat and ram were huddled around the back of it, near one of the rear tires. "Hey, let's see if they need help," Clawhauser said. "Okay," Fangton said as he pulled the cruiser over. Clawhauser got out and walked over to the duo.

"Hey, do you fellas need help there?" he called out. The goat and ram stopped what they were doing and turned around to look at him. "No, we're fine," the ram said tersely. "Sorry. I was just seeing if you needed any help," Clawhauser said. "No. Leave us alone," the ram said again.

"Well, you don't have any safety markers or traffic cones, or even any road flares out. That could be dangerous. We can spare a few, if you need them," Clawhauser offered. "You just don't get it. We don't _want_ your help, pred. Now go away!" the ram said angrily. "Whoa! Calm down, buddy. I'm just trying to help," Clawhauser said, raising two paws in the air.

"I've already asked you to leave us alone!" the ram exclaimed, just as the goat finished handling whatever they had been working on. "Let's go," the goat said. The ram followed him to the cab and got in before starting the engine and driving forward. He quickly stopped the van, looking in his side mirror to see Clawhauser turning around and walking back to the cruiser. He then put the van into reverse and sped backwards towards Clawhauser.

"Clawhauser, look out!" Fangton exclaimed as he saw the van speeding backwards, heading straight for the cheetah. Clawhauser turned his head and gasped just as the back of the van rammed into him, sending him sprawling backwards into the snow. "Clawhauser!" Fangton cried from inside the cruiser before calling dispatch.

"Come in Dispatch! This is Unit Four-Alpha-Nine-Two! We have an officer down on Freeway entrance T-twelve, just outside of the transitional tunnel to the Meadowlands, at mile marker zero-one-four. Officer Clawhauser has been hit by a large white delivery van and needs immediate medical attention. The license of the van is... it was covered up. It was covered up!" Fangton exclaimed in realization.

" _This is dispatch. An ambulance is on its way. Please stay by Officer Clawhauser's side to inspect his injuries and help medical personnel prepare for him when they arrive,_ " Dispatch said. "Ten-four. Fangton out," Fangton said as he got out of the cruiser and ran over to Clawhauser's side.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct Three, Twenty Minutes Later...**

Judy and Nick listened to the report on the radio as they started the engine of the cruiser. They had just dropped Officer Clayworth off at the Third Precinct's main station. " _All units be on the lookout for a large white delivery van with a covered license plate. We say again, Officer Clawhauser has been hit by a large white delivery van at Freeway Entrance T-Twelve, mile marker zero-one-four, in Tundra Town. Emergency medical services are on their way,_ " Dispatch said.

"Come on," Judy insisted as she backed out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road, heading for the freeway. Nick grabbed the radio. "This is unit Six-Alpha-Five-Three. We are on our way to the scene of the accident to provide assistance. Over," Nick said into the radio. " _Ten-four, Unit-Six-Alpha-Five-Three. We will alert Unit Four-Alpha-Nine-Two of your arrival,_ " the dispatcher responded.

* * *

"Great going!" McGinnley spat sarcastically at Furlowe. "Now the cops are gonna be looking for us before we can even finish phase one! You just fucked up the operation!" the goat continued ranting. "Will you shut up? We aren't gonna be keeping this van much longer anyway. We'll park it somewhere, setup some explosives, and get picked up by Doug in _his_ van," Furlowe responded.

"Where do we park? Where do we drop off the van?" McGinnley asked him worriedly. "Just relax. Doug's going to meet us at a gas station just a mile ahead of the intersection. We have this whole thing figured out. Besides, what's one less predator, huh?" Furlowe asked him with a smile on his face. "We were supposed to stick with our plan! No deviations! Now the police might check our last stop and find the explosives!" McGinnley exclaimed.

"You whine too much, McGinnley. Trust me; everything will work out just fine. Besides, we're coming up on the intersection, so keep your head down," Furlowe said as they drove through the green light.

The duo continued driving until Furlowe pulled into a gas station. Sure enough, Doug's van was parked there, waiting for them. Furlowe parked the van next to the entrance of the store before turning off the engine and going into the back, setting up the explosives. McGinnley quickly exited the vehicle and made his way over to Doug's van.

"Doug, We gotta move. As soon as Furlowe gets his rear over here, we take off, before anyone can see us," McGinnley said, just as a police cruiser drove up to the station and pulled up to a service pump. McGinnley saw a polar bear driving the cruiser, along with a snow leopard. McGinnley watched as the snow leopard got out and prepared the cruiser for fueling, while the polar bear got out and walked over to the store, pausing to look at the white van before walking over to it.

"Oh shit," McGinnley muttered as the cop inspected the van. "Fuck Furlowe. Get in!" Doug said as he opened the passenger door for McGinnley to get inside. The goat nodded his head and climbed inside before closing the door as Doug slowly started the engine, keeping his eyes on the cops.

As Officer Bryan Hoover inspected the white van, he heard a back door open and saw a ram getting out. "Excuse me, sir? Could I ask you a few questions?" Hoover asked the ram, noticing that the van matched the details provided by Officer Fangton on the radio, and it wasn't too far away from the scene of Clawhauser's accident, given the time that had passed.

"What kind of questions?" Furlowe asked the bear. "Is this vehicle registered to you?" the bear asked him. "No. A friend lent it me," Furlowe said, mixing lie with truth. "Which way were you coming from before you parked here?" the bear asked him. "None of your business," Furlowe said curtly, glaring at the officer.

"Well, not long ago, we got a call that a fellow officer had been hit by a large white delivery van with a covered-up license plate, and your vehicle matches that description to a T," the officer said with a pensive look. "Power to the prey," Furlowe said before taking out a gun and a detonator, one in each hoof.

"Gun!" Hoover exclaimed, catching his partner's attention. Furlowe turned around and shot at the snow leopard before Hoover pulled out his own gun, firing at the ram. Furlowe cried out in pain as he fell over. "Stay where you are!" Hoover ordered the ram as he pulled out his cuffs and carefully walked towards the wounded animal.

"Power... to the... _prey!_ " Furlowe spat in defiance before pressing the button on the detonator, blowing up the van. The resulting explosion engulfed not only Furlowe, but also Hoover, and the windows of the store were shattered, sending glass everywhere. "Hoover!" the snow leopard cried out as she crouched behind the open door of her cruiser.

Meanwhile, across the parking lot, Doug quickly put his van into reverse and backed out onto the main road before straightening out and driving away, quickly weaving into the rest of traffic. "Okay, McGinnley, act panicky and concerned. Point at the scene and sound like you're surprised and confused," Doug ordered the goat. "Got it," McGinnley said before miming the movements of a bystander for anyone who looked in the van's windows.

* * *

Driving towards the intersection that would take them to Fangton and Clawhauser, Judy stopped the cruiser as she saw the explosion at the gas station from across the street. "Holy shit!" Nick exclaimed as the flames lit up the evening sky and reflected off of the windows of various vehicles and snow drifts. "Was anybody hurt?" Judy asked. "I see another cop car over there, Carrots. I'm tuning the radio to Precinct Three's main frequency. " _-geant Nicki Canton! I say again, there has been an explosion at the Quail Ridge gas station at the intersection of Trout and T-Twelve! We have an officer down and a dead suspect, along with damage to the store and possible civilian injuries or casualties! Requesting backup and emergency medical services!_ "

Looking to his right, Nick saw a van with a ram and a mountain goat inside driving through the green light, just before it turned red. The goat was pointing at the gas station with a wild look on his face. Looking back at the gas station, Nick saw that there were two other cars parked in the lot, meaning that there were animals inside that needed help. "Carrots, turn in to the gas station," Nick said. "But Clawhauser-" "Is being handled the EMT's. We need to help secure this area. There are animals in that store who may be in trouble," Nick said firmly.

"Right," Judy said, nodding her head and turning on the sirens of the cruiser before making a turn and heading for the entrance of the station's parking lot. Nick got on the radio and called into dispatch to inform them of the change in destination. Judy quickly parked the cruiser next to the Tundra Town cruiser and put the vehicle in park before getting out and running over to the snow leopard officer.

"Sergeant Judy Wilde, First Precinct. Status report?" she asked the snow leopard. "Sergeant Nicki Canton. Officer Bryan Hoover, my partner, was right next to the van when it blew up," she said. "Van? What kind of van?" Judy asked her. "It was a large white delivery van," Canton replied. _The same as the one that hit Clawhauser_ , Judy thought. "Did you see who was inside the vehicle?" Judy asked her. "It was a ram. He had a gun and a detonator in his hooves. I heard him cry 'power to the prey' before opening fire at me. That's when Hoover shot him and he blew up the van," Canton explained.

"Are there any animals inside the store?" Judy asked her. "I don't know. Maybe," Canton said worriedly. Judy nodded her head and ran over to the front doors of the store, rushing past the heat of the flames and jumping over the burnt and crispy corpse of Officer Hoover. "Is anyone in here!?" Judy called out. "My name is Sergeant Judy Wilde of the ZPD! If anyone is injured, please say so!" she called out as she made her way through the store, eventually finding two employees, an arctic hare and a roe deer, huddled behind the main register.

"Are you okay? Are either of you injured?" Judy asked as she knelt down near them. They both shook their heads in response. Standing back up, Judy looked at the shattered glass on the floor before walking over and looking at the burning van. _Just who did this and where did they get explosives with this kind of power? Just what the hell is going on here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: And here is chapter four. The next chapter deals with the aftermath of this incident, the continuing investigation of the depot incident, and more destruction from our terrorists. Oh, and get ready for obstructive bureaucracy and incompetent government officials. After all, this is inspired by a Dirty Harry film.


	5. Prey Liberation Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prey Liberation Front hit their first civilian target.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is the property of Disney.

* * *

**Prey Liberation Front**

* * *

Date: Friday, September 20th, 2021

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Inside the briefing room, affectionately known as the bull-pen, Chief Bogo stood in front of every officer who was on duty and off. Also in the room were several detectives and other officers from different departments, including homicide and narcotics. "Yesterday, as many of you are now aware, we experienced what was possibly the first act of terrorism in Zootopia in over twenty years," Bogo said.

"Two nights ago, a ZPD and PSDF supply depot was raided by a group of terrorists known only as the Prey Liberation Front," Bogo said. "The weaponry and equipment that had been confiscated from the cargo ship Vera Alus was stolen from one of the warehouses inside the depot," Bogo said. "Sir, if this happened _two_ nights ago, then why-" "I'm not finished, Wilde," Bogo snapped. Nick nodded his head and lowered his paw.

"Captain Hemsfield of Precinct Six has been put in charge of the investigation, and Inspector Milius here is has the most information. Inspector?" Bogo asked, motioning for the leopard to step forward and take his place next to him before turning on the screen behind them. "This is the information that we have gathered so far," Milius said. "The main weaponry taken by the Prey Liberation Front were small arms, such as pistols, SMG's, and a few micro-UZI's. This can give us an idea as to the possible species involved, as the larger and even medium-sized weapons were left alone," Milius said.

"Now, as their name says, these are prey animals. Unless they have a self-loathing predator among them, of course," Milius added. "Please go on," Bogo said. "Yes. I want to make something very clear to everyone, that while most weapons were small arms, three very dangerous rifles were taken. They were all XD-763 Commando SC assault rifles, two of which were small-scale and one at a modest regular scale. This is the size of the weapon used by Arjun Rooter when he attacked Sergeant Wilde last year, and fortunately, he was using standard rounds," Milius said.

"Unfortunately, for all of us, a container of specialized hollow-point rounds, specialized for these guns, was taken as well. The small-scale rifles take smaller rounds than the large and medium-scale rifles, but otherwise, performance is the same, except that the hollow-points were for the medium and large-scale rifles. Also missing was a crate containing three SMAWs. Those are shoulder-operated multipurpose assault weapons, or rocket launchers," Milius said.

"These are military-grade weapons, and the SMAWs are anti-tank weaponry, so if you see one being aimed at you... run perpendicular to its path. Their munition rounds are not heat-seeking, nor do they lock onto targets. These are standard point and shoot weapons, but they are still devastatingly destructive," Milius explained.

"Your cruisers, despite being fortified to withstand a rampaging elephant or rhino, no offense, will still be blown to smithereens. I have a full list of items taken right here," Milius said as he pulled out a large file folder with dozens of papers in it. "A copy for each one of you," he said as he started handing them out. After returning to the front of the room, he cleared his throat.

"Now, according to testimony from Sergeant Canton of the Third Precinct, the ram who blew up his van yesterday, and killed Officer Bryan Hoover, said 'power to the prey' before doing so. Now, this white delivery van is believed to be the same one that hit Officer Benjamin Clawhauser. The van striking Clawhauser was a deliberate action, as observed by Officer Fangton," Milius said.

"Furthermore, forensics found that the detonation device matches those used by the mercenaries who attacked us last year. This means that, yes, this ram was a member of the Prey Liberation Front. Thus, we need to begin checking all traffic cameras to see were that van was driven to and from and at what times. Officer Fangton also reported seeing a mountain goat as well, but said goat was not seen by Sergeant Canton, so the suspects whereabouts are unknown. We don't know their name, or anything else about them," Milius said.

"To all predator officers... wear trauma vests and have helmets ready in your vehicles, even those of you on parking duty," Milius said. "Now, this is just a suggestion," Captain Hemsfield said as he walked up to the front of the room. Milius had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "We don't want to give these terrorists the advantage by letting them know how well-prepared we are. This could easily give them reason to start using their most dangerous weapons against both ourselves and the civilian population _before_ we can form a proper strategy against them. Make sure that all extra protective gear is hidden from plain sight," Hemsfield said.

"And furthermore, until we can gather more data concerning these individuals, everything being discussed in this room is to remain in here. You will not say a word to the public, or even your loved ones. Rumors can spread quickly, and a public panic is the last thing that we need right now," Hemsfield said. McHorn raised a hoof. "Yes, Officer?" Hemsfield asked him. "Do we know if they will use Night Howlers in their campaign against predators, like Bellwether did?" McHorn asked him.

"We have found no evidence suggesting the presence of Night Howlers in any of the locations connected to the investigation so far," Hemsfield replied. "Now, as I was hoping to get to, there is a case being looked at right now that, while we dismissed it at first, has much more relevance," Milius said. "A few days ago, a white delivery van belonging to the Red Tree Cola company was reported missing, as it had not arrived at its destination at all. The store that was supposed to receive shipments of soda called the company to report the missed delivery, and the company began attempting to make contact with the van," Milius said.

"Two days ago, the bodies of two Red Tree Cola employees, both coyotes, were found dead at a rest stop alongside the Jethero Mountain Range. It is now highly probable that the van which was destroyed last night is also the same van that went missing. Therefore, we are investigating all delivery vehicles reported to have entered Zootopia from the north through the border," Milius said.

"Um, wouldn't a van for the Red Tree Cola company have markings on it or a company logo?" Nick asked curiously. "We believe that the suspects who stole the van may have either painted over it or found another way to remove identifiers after entering Zootopia. In either case, the vehicle is most likely destroyed," Milius said.

"Now, in two weeks time, the city will be preparing its Heritage Festival, which will have a gathering of predators and prey alike. An event such as this would be an ideal target for these terrorists, and as such I want them captured before the festival begins. Any and all leads are to be considered, but I want them pursued quietly, without the public getting wind of anything," Hemsfield said.

Judy raised a paw. "Yes, Sergeant Wilde?" Milius asked her. "What is Officer Clawhauser's current condition?" she asked with concern. "I was informed that his condition is currently stable, although I don't know much else," Milius replied. "Any other questions?" Milius asked the room. "How do we know the name of this group?" McLeod asked. "They left us a note at the depot, identifying their group's name," Milius explained.

Francine Trunkaby raised a hand. "Yes, Trunkaby?" Hemsfield asked. "Have they made any demands yet? Have they released any statements at all?" she asked. "None that we are aware of," Hemsfield answered. Fangmeyer raised a paw. "Yes, Fangmeyer?" Milius asked. "Were any prints or fur samples recovered from the depot or other crime scenes?" she asked.

"No. They covered their tracks far too well," Milius replied. Milius looked around the room for any other raised paws or hooves. Higgins had a hand raised. "Yes, Higgins?" Milius asked. "You said earlier that the size of the weapons stolen could have given us clues to their species. What species do you suppose are the most likely?" Higgins asked. "Small to medium-sized animals. A mountain goat is large enough to handle one of those rifles I mentioned earlier, but the taking of the smalelrs ones is indicative of animals who are small in stature, such as hares or sheep," Milius said.

"Now, keep in mind that this is still speculation. We don't need to be accused of profiling," Hemsfield said. "Okay, when more information becomes available, we will keep everyone updated," Milius said.

* * *

"We can't use my van for every operation," Doug Ramses said. "That's why we need to get a new mode of transportation," Welker replied as he loaded his pistol. "Can't we get a new vehicle _before_ today's operation, though?" Doug asked him. "You can drop us off and then take Donna with you to find a new one. It's not like you've kept the same van all these years, have you?" Welker asked the ram.

"I've painted over it several times. Do you know how careful I have to be when driving so that I don't get pulled over?" Doug asked him. "Then just paint it over again," Welker said. "Or, drop us off near the target and take Donna to go find another vehicle for us. Take two radios with you to contact us after coming back here," Welker said. Everyone was in the basement of Doug's current hideout.

"But can't we wait to do this _after_ we get another vehicle?" Doug asked him. "Look, Doug, Furlowe gave his life to the cause last night. He sent our message to the world, and now we have to start moving things up as well. We can't let Furlowe's sacrifice be in vain. We must strike soon, and I'd prefer that it be today," Welker said. "Yeah," Kurtz added.

"Furlowe was a martyr, who believed in a better world than this one, where prey are in their rightful place at the top of society," Woolton said. "Every minute that we wait is another minute that predators get to continue being in power, instead of us," Sara Valdez said. "Power to the prey," Donna said. "Power to the prey," everyone else chimed in, with the exception of Doug. "At least let me and Donna find a new vehicle _before_ we drop you off. That way everyone will know what the new vehicle looks like," Doug implored.

"Okay, we can do that," Welker said. "Alright, everybody knows what the plan is for today, right? We know what the target is, and we know what we want," he said. "You all know your roles. Today... we officially begin the revolution and put predators in their place. Power to the prey!"

* * *

**Elkwood Plaza, Savanna Central, Around Noon**

Inside the enormous shopping center known as Elkwood Plaza, hundreds of animals went about their routines of socializing and buying various goods. Predator and prey alike congregated in the building, a massive monument to capitalism, consumerism, and broken wet-floor signs, as they went about their day in the first three levels of the building. The fourth through eighth levels were the office levels where various departments of the city were found, including an insurance department, bank offices, and the Savanna Central's Attorney General's office.

Connected to the plaza was a large indoor parking structure, where some animals got lost, went insane, and then found their cars after an hour of desperate searching. Inside this structure right now were eight animals with masks on their faces and long coats hiding their weapons as they strolled into the elevator that would take them to the floor that led to the office levels, where they would strike their first official target. As the Prey Liberation Front quietly made their way past several parked cars while walking towards the elevators, four members broke off from the main group and walked towards a different entrance into the building, carrying suitcases with explosives in them and heading for the shopping area.

Entering the elevators, the group split into two per elevator before climbing to the next floor, exiting out and reforming into their group after reaching their desired floor. Not a word was said among them as they quietly walked over to a cheetah security guard, who was paying more attention to his phone than to his surroundings, and grabbed a hold of him, knifing him and muffling his voice with their gloved paws and hooves. They grabbed his taser and ID card, rifling through his pockets for money and paper slips with his access codes and PIN numbers written on them.

The group quickly stowed the body in a closet, quietly and quickly killing the warthog janitor who was using it as well, before grabbing the janitor's keys and ID cards. The Prey Liberation Front silently used their new access cards and PIN numbers to enter the employee section without setting off any alarms. They swiftly made their way over to the set of offices that held their targets: the banks used primarily by predators. Two wolf security guards, however, were passing through the hallway at that moment, and after a tense stand off... the gunfire started.

* * *

Inside Chief Bogo's office, the cape buffalo was busy looking over several files that had been accumulated for the incident at the gas station. Just as he was about to flip a page, the com link on his desk beeped. "Yes, Johnson?" Bogo asked the lion who was filling in for Clawhauser. " _ **Sir, we have a situation at the Elkwood Plaza. A group of mammals calling themselves the Prey Liberation Front have infiltrated the office levels of the building and are attacking everyone in sight! I don't know the code for calling the SWAT teams!**_ " Johnson exclaimed.

Bogo's eyes widened at the news. _Those are the animals who raided the depot,_ Bogo thought to himself. "Johnson, tell dispatch to send out an all-units alert right now. I want SWAT _and_ patrol officers heading towards the plaza and clearing out all civilians," Bogo said. " _ **Understood, Chief,**_ " Johnson replied.

Bogo then took out his cell phone. "Hello, Hemsfield? The terrorists have just attacked the Elkwood Plaza. Get over there and observe the situation until SWAT and regular patrol officers can arrive. See if you can find out what's going on, but do not engage any of the terrorists unless they see you and attack first. Understood?" Bogo asked. " _Crystal, sir._ "

* * *

Inspector Milius was sitting inside Quade's Diner, just across the street from Elkwood Plaza, waiting for his food. "Here ya go, Conan," Louis Carnell, a middle-aged tiger and the current owner of the diner, said as he handed Milius a plate with a chicken sandwich on it and a glass of orange soda. "You haven't had one of these in a while, Conan. What's the occasion?" Louis asked him. "Don't you know what today is?" Milius asked him in response.

"It's... Friday," Louis replied. "Friday, the..." Milius trailed off. "The twentieth, like every month," Louis said. "Which month?" Milius asked him. "September. Oh," Louis said, finally recognizing the significance of the date. "Yup. Twenty years ago, Eddy Furlwitz was made my partner in Homicide, on today's date. And fifteen years ago... those bastards fired him and sent him to die in prison for no good reason," Milius said bitterly.

"This one's for you, Ed. You always did love these," Milius said before taking a bite out of his sandwich. Just then, his phone went off. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Milius swallowed his food before taking out his phone. "Always when I'm eating," he muttered before pressing the TALK button on the phone. " _Milius, this is Hemsfield. Where are you right now?_ " Hemsfield asked him. "I'm at Quade's Diner right now," Milius replied.

" _Where the hell is that?_ " Hemsfield asked him. "It's right across the street from Elkwood Plaza. you can't miss it," Milius said. " _Milius, I need you to go over to the plaza and help evacuate the civilians on the shopping levels of the building. We're sending SWAT over there along with half of Precinct One,_ " Hemsfield said. "What's going on?" Milius asked him before he looked out the window at at plaza. He saw a lot of animals running through the parking lot.

" _The Prey Liberation Front is what's happening. They've attacked the office levels of the building. Get everyone out of the shopping levels so that first responders can get in there easier. Do not engage the terrorists, Milius. Just evacuate the civilians and wait for everyone else to arrive,_ " Hemsfield said. "That's fine and all, but what do I do if a terrorist starts shooting at some children? Do I just yell at them to run faster?" Milius asked in response.

" _If a terrorist opens fire at you or a civilian within sight of you, then draw their attention away from the civilian. But do not engage them. We don't need a shoot-out that could get more civilians killed,_ " Hemsfield said. "Understood," Milius said dryly before hanging up and putting his phone in his pocket. "Louis. Stay away from the plaza. There's been a report of gunmen inside," Milius said to the tiger. "Hey, they're all yours," Louis said as a few other patrons looked at Milius in surprise as he grabbed the sandwich and walked out the door.

"Oh, by the way, I'm leaving my car in the lot for now. Don't touch it," Milius said before closing the door behind himself. He quickly walked over to the car while eating his sandwich, opened the door, and grabbed his spare magazines from a compartment under the front passenger seat. He quickly checked his M1911 to make sure that it was loaded and chambered before switching the safety back on and locking his car doors. He quickly trotted over across the street and into the parking lot of Elkwood Plaza, finishing his sandwich as he did so.

As he entered the parking lot, several animals of different species ran past him, fearful expressions marring their faces. As a large bison ran towards him, Milius stopped him. "Hey, what's goin' on?" Milius asked the bison, hoping to gain some useful information. "Someone set off a bomb inside!" the bison exclaimed as he ran past the leopard. "A bomb? What happened to the gunmen?" Milius asked himself.

Milius stepped to the side as a gazelle carried her young daughter in her arms passed by. Several wildebeest and deer ran out through the doors, along with several hippos and elephants. Milius had to rush over behind several cars to avoid being crushed by the stampeding civilians. Carefully making his way around to the side of the building, where several smaller animals were leaving through the emergency exit, Milius soon made his way inside.

A cougar grabbed him by the arm. "Hey, you don't wanna go in there!" the cougar exclaimed. "It's okay, I'm a police officer. How many more people are still inside?" Milius replied. "I don't know!" the cougar exclaimed. "Someone said that a bomb went off inside here. What floor?" Milius asked him. "Second floor, near the food court," the cougar said. "Were you there?" Milius asked him. "I was in the building!" the cougar said.

"Fine, get out of here. I'm gonna help the other survivors inside," Milius said as he pushed past an oryx. "Hey, where are you going!? The exit's right here!" the oryx exclaimed. Milius ignored him and continued walking through the throngs of animals trying to escape, noticing the panic on their faces as they cried out in fear and terror, before everyone heard a loud boom from somewhere above them, as another explosion went off. Dust fell down from the ceiling, and Milius looked back at the large crowds of animals that had started to panic again.

He saw two security guards, both wolves, trying to guide the people around the lobby of the first floor, near an escalator. Milius quickly jogged over to them. "Hey, how many more animals are still in here?" Milius asked them. One of them turned to face him. "Sir, we need to ask you to keep moving and evacuate the building," one of the wolves said. Milius took out his badge and ID. "I'm a cop, now tell me exactly what's going on. How many animals are still left upstairs?" Milius asked them as he put his badge and ID back in his jacket..

"We have no idea!" one of them said. "First we heard reports of some kind of fighting going on up in the office floors, and then a bomb went off in a DNKY store next to the food court," the other wolf said, patting various animals on the back as he ushered them forward towards the exits. Milius looked over at the front entrance and saw a lone security guard, a male domesticus pig, ushering the crowds through the doors. "How many injured are there?" Milius asked the wolves.

"We don't know! We have four guys upstairs trying to guide the other animals down here, but we haven't heard squat from them since that other explosion," the first wolf said. "How good is cell phone reception in here?" Milius asked them. "What? I don't know... decent? Look, we have hundreds of animals that we need to help evacuate right now. If you aren't going to help, then get out of here!" the second wolf replied.

Milius stood over by the escalator and called Chief Bogo's cell number. " _Milius? Where are you?_ " Bogo asked him. "Didn't Hemsfield tell you? I'm inside Elkwood Plaza. Someone set off a bomb near the food court on the second floor, and then another one went off just after I got inside the building. We're gonna need a bomb squad in case there are more explosives in the building. What's the ETA on the ambulances and backup forces?"

" _They should be arriving in about a minute. Find out how many terrorists are in the building and help evacuate the civilians,_ " Bogo said. "I'm already on it," Milius said. "Call ya later," he added before hanging up the phone. He looked over the rail of the escalator and saw that it was turned off. He quickly ran over to the front of it and ran up. "Hey, get down here!" one the guards shouted at him.

Milius ignored the guard as he climbed the escalator, seeing smoke near the ceiling. He saw several animals lying on the ground, covering their heads in fear. Milius walked over to them and tapped them on the shoulders. "Hey, if you can walk, then take the stairs and get out of here," he said to each one before he made his way over to a large window pane. The window was still intact. He made his way around each of the stores, finding animals who were too scared to move before ushering them over to the escalator and shouting at the guards to help them.

He spent the next fifteen minutes repeating this until he heard gunfire, and then the remaining animals on the floor below him truly began to panic and stampede their way out of the building. After helping two more injured survivors make their way to the front doors, the two security guards quickly lifted themselves up onto the escalator to avoid being trampled by the evacuating civilians. Looking back over at the other end of the floor, near the food court where the DNKY store was full of smoke and flame, Conan saw several dead animals on the floor around the entrance. He also saw smoke and flame from another store further down the aisle, where he could make out the form of one dead security guard, a lion, lying on the ground.

Running around the other side of the walkway that made up the second floor, as there was a huge space around the escalator that allowed animals to view the first floor below them, Milius quickly checked the stores he ran past, until he saw a dead coyote security guard lying on the floor of a Gray Paw's Discount Clothing store, along with several other dead animals, including three bear cubs and their mother, three school-aged wolf cubs and their parents, and two female Corsac foxes. They had all been shot to death.

Milius was about to check if anyone was still breathing when he heard another round of gunfire echo through the plaza. He quickly exited the store and ran towards the other end of the building, watching as a female wolf rushed out of another store, clutching her cub to her chest before gunfire rang out and she fell to the floor. Pulling out his pistol, Milius hid behind a potted plant as he saw two animals wearing long coats run out of the store. He watched as one of them, a deer of some kind, approached the fallen wolf and her cub, before shooting the two wolves at point blank.

Milius moved out of cover and aimed his pistol at the deer, who was just raising her head to see Milius. The deer raised her gun to fire but Milius was quicker on the draw and sent three rounds at the deer, hitting her twice in the torso, and once in the shoulder. Milius quickly scrutinized himself for making such a wide margin between shots, but the deer fell over with a cry, alerting their partner.

"Sara!" the other animal, also a deer, cried out as he ran over to the doe. "Freeze, asshole!" Milius exclaimed as he aimed his pistol at the standing buck. "Now, I still have six rounds left in this gun, and I'm already aiming it at you. Put your hooves in the air, drop your weapon, and stay where you are," Milius said. The buck snorted at him and made for his own gun, a Bearretta pistol. "Go ahead, punk. Make my day," Milius said with a grimace before remembering that there were two security guards on the escalator.

"Security! Get over here now! I have two suspects in sight!" Milius called out before taking one paw off of his gun to retrieve his phone. "Hemsfield, this is Milius. What's the ETA on ambulances and backup?" Milius asked as he kept his gaze on the two deer. " _We're outside the plaza right now. Get out here and wait for SWAT to arrive,_ " Hemsfield said. "Negative. I have two terrorists in my sight. They just killed unarmed civilians and security guards," Milius said.

" _Dammit, I said not to engage them! Pull away now and get out here!_ " Hemsfield shouted through the phone. Milius glanced at the phone in disgust for only a few seconds, which was long enough for the deer buck to get off a shot at the leopard. Milius dropped his phone and fired back as he fell to the ground, feeling the pain in his gut from where the buck had shot him.

"Burn in hell, pred!" the buck snarled as he picked up his doe and dragged her along the floor with him. Milius aimed his pistol at the retreating deer, firing off the last of his rounds and hitting the doe in the side and leg, causing the buck to open fire at him, hitting him in the abdomen with several rounds.

Milius suppressed a cry of pain. " _Milius? Milius, whatever you're doing, stop now and get out here!_ " Hemsfield yelled through the phone. The deer quickly grabbed the doe again and picked her up before carrying her through the halls, activating one final explosive in the store they had exited, blocking Milius's view of their escape as the wolf security guards finally caught up to him. "Oh shit!" one of them exclaimed as they saw Milius's wounds.

"Hold on, we're gonna get you a-" " _Milius! I am your superior officer, and I am giving you an order! If you don't get your tail outside right now, I'm going to have Bogo demote you to a meter maid! Answer me!_ " Hemsfield shouted through the phone. One of the wolves picked up the phone and ended the call in disgust.

"G-Get them! Get the deer!" Milius spat at them. "Deer? They were deer?" one of the guards asked him. "A doe and a buck, wearing long coats. I hit the doe, but the buck is still kicking," Milius rasped through the pain, tasting copper in his mouth. "Oh hell," he muttered, realizing that he was suffering from internal bleeding. "What a fucking day."

**Nearly An Hour Later...**

As the EMTs loaded the wounded into ambulances, Nick and Judy stood by their cruiser near the parking lot of the Elkwood Plaza, watching as the bomb squad finally gave the all-clear for other units to begin entering the building. Judy blanched as she saw the numerous body bags being carried out on stretchers, many of which were clearly not carrying adults. "Liberation Front my ass," Nick muttered in disgust. "Yeah, they're gonna _liberate_ animals all right. They're gonna liberate them from the tyranny of being alive and safe," he added dryly.

Judy was about to add her own comment when she saw a cruiser drive up to the scene. After the cruiser was parked, Chief Bogo stepped out and walked over to their position. "Wildes, any word yet from the inside? Anything from Milius or Hemsfield?" Bogo asked them.

"We saw Hemsfield when we arrived, but he just went inside when the bomb squad gave the all-clear," Judy replied. "Have you heard from Inspector Milius yet?" Bogo asked them. "No. Not a single peep," Nick said, shaking his head. Bogo looked over and saw an arctic fox vixen sitting inside the cruiser.

"Is that... what's her name?" Bogo asked them. "Yeah, we were on patrol with her in Tundra Town when we got the order. We _are_ part of Precinct One, and you gave the order for _all_ Precinct One officers to get over here," Nick explained. "I figured you would be tuned into the frequency for Precinct Three," Bogo said.

Bogo turned his attention to the emergency medical personnel who were carrying bodies out of the building. "Let's go see what the damage is," Bogo said. He knocked on the door for the cruiser, startling Officer Clayworth. He gestured for her to open the door. "You, come along," Bogo said to her. Clayworth nodded her head before getting out of the vehicle and grabbing a roll of police tape.

Making their way through the parking lot, the foursome saw several injured animals being bandaged by medical workers. When they finally entered the building, Bogo saw Lieutenant Hudson, a coyote, standing in a corner with several other members of the bomb squad. Lieutenant Hudson was in charge of the First Precinct's main bomb squad. "-and that means we're in the clear on these levels for now. Keep your stop-watches ready and assist the fire fighters as they clear the rubble and put out the fires," Hudson said to several wolves and cheetahs who were in the bomb squad.

"And remember, keep your masks on while on the upper levels and maintain constant radio communication. Move in pairs and do not lose sight of your partner," Hudson said. The others nodded their heads. "Lieutenant," Bogo said as he addressed the coyote. "Chief, we got ourselves about two more floors of shopping and five floors of offices. We've checked the damage to most of the pillars here. This attack wasn't meant ot destroy the building, sir. I have three teams still moving around on levels five through eight. We're only letting SWAT move alongside them for now," Hudson said.

"How many explosive devices have you found intact?" Bogo asked him. "One. On the second floor, near a dead wolf and her cub," Hudson said. "Milius is up there, but... so is Hemsfield. We've found nearly forty or fifty more corpses still up there, and that's just from the explosions," Hudson said as he saw several medical personnel carrying body bags and a few wounded animals on a stretcher down the escalator and stairs.

"Wilde and... um, Rookie, get up there," Bogo said. "Oh, we got another fox officer?" Hudson asked as he saw the arctic vixen following Nick and Judy up the staircase next to the UP escalator. "Yes. She's in Precinct Three, but is currently with Wilde and Wilde as part of an exercise," Bogo said. "Right. Anyway... you'd better get up there, sir. I've dealt with Hemsfield before in Happytown. He's in asshole-mode right now," Hudson said.

Meanwhile, Nick, Judy, and Janet had just emerged onto the second floor. They made their way around the walkway near the food court, watching as several rescue workers were digging an injured gazelle out of the rubble. "Get a breathing-mask for him! Hurry!" one of the rescue workers shouted. "We've got another one. She's just a child!" another worker called out as he pulled rubble off of a small caracal kitten. "Where's my mommy!? Where's my mommy!?" the kitten cried out.

Tearing his attention away from the scene, Nick saw a small number of rescue workers and two wolf security guards on the other side of the building, on the opposing walkway, near a Gray Paw's Discount Clothing store. Nick grabbed Judy and Janet by the shoulders and urged them to follow him around the walkway path before making their way over to the EMT's and wolf guards. Half-way there, Nick saw Captain Hemsfield stepping out of the store, talking on his phone as he surveyed the damage.

"Is this a survivor?" Nick asked as he got closer to the group. One of the EMT's, a lioness, sighed with a frown. "Call it," she said to the kiang mare who was crouched next to her. "Time of death is Oh-One-Fifty-Seven PM," the mare said morosely. Nick stepped closer and looked over the shoulders of the other paramedics to see Inspector Conan Milius's body on the ground, blood pooled around him. Interestingly, one of his paws was balled into a fist with the middle digit sticking up.

"Defiant to the end," Nick whispered in awe and morbid humor. The paramedics looked up at him. "I knew him," Nick said. "Nick, who's-oh god," Judy said in shock as she saw Milius's body on the floor. "Who... who was he?" Janet Clayworth asked them. "Inspector Milius," Judy said sadly. Judy's ears twitched as she heard Captain Hemsfield voice. He was walking closer to them as he talked on the phone.

"Yes, Mayor. I'll let him know as soon as I'm off the phone. Look, we have dozens of dead civilians, so don't talk to me about how will make you look. We have a critical and time-sensitive situation to deal with, and I have an injured officer to demote for his stupidity later," Hemsfield said. "Well, I'm sure that Chief Bogo would love to argue with you about that, but right now there are still animals trapped in this building, and I need every paw I can get to help find them and get them out of here as quickly and as safely as possible!" Hemsfield shouted at the mayor through the phone.

"No, I don't know how many victims were prey or predator! That's not important right now!" Hemsfield hissed. "Look, until we can get everyone out of here and do a proper count, then numbers are meaningless. Yes, I'll have our best officers on it. Goodbye, Mister Mayor," Hemsfield said before hanging up.

Looking over at the new arrivals, Hemsfield frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked them, focusing his attention specifically on Clayworth. "Bogo told us to come up here and find Milius," Nick said. "Well, the bastard's right there," Hemsfield said irritably. "He just _died_ , you _asshole_ ," Nick spat at the deer.

"What did you just say to me?" Hemsfield asked him with a dangerous tone. "He said that Inspector Milius was just pronounced dead by the paramedics," Judy said, trying to diffuse the situation and prevent things getting out of control. "Alright, but why is _she_ here? She's from a different precinct, right? She should be back out there doing patrol or something in Tundra Town," Hemsfield said.

"Their cruiser is only trans-" "I didn't ask you," Hemsfield interrupted her. Clayworth shrank back from him. The paramedics started getting a body bag ready for Milius as Hemsfield continued berating the trio. "Listen, you were all given orders to stay outside and handle the public, but you can't even obey that. As soon as we get back to HQ, I'm gonna make sure that Bogo demotes you for this blatant insubordination," Hemsfield said darkly.

"But, Chief Bogo told us to-" "Don't lie to me, Missy," Hemsfield said to Clayworth with a dismissive snort. "I-I'm n-not lying," she said. "She's telling the truth, Captain. Chief Bogo ordered us to come with him and help find Milius," Judy said. "I'll believe that when I hear it from Bogo's mouth. I read the report on your involvement with Milius and the others last year," Hemsfield said to them.

"You think that just because you brought down a drug lord and helped send Mr. Big to prison, that somehow you can do whatever you want! Well, listen up, because right now, the fact that you were both just recently promoted after that stint is the only reason I don't demote you myself. And this little tart will count herself lucky that she works under that soft-hearted oaf, Hingle," Hemsfield snarled.

"Now, unless you have something better to do, you need to either go back outside or help the rescue workers clear the debris and search for survivors. Milius is dead, and there's nothing we can do about it right now. We can deal with that later," Hemsfield said as he glared at them.

"But, we need to tell Chief Bogo about Inspector Milius!" Clayworth exclaimed. "I said don't lie to me, and what do you do? You lie to my face," Hemsfield said with disappointment in his voice, not noticing the hoof-steps that were approaching.

"Captain Hemsfield! Status report?" Bogo asked him. "Well, first off, these three are in trouble for insubordination and lying to a superior officer. Second, we have survivors still being found and more bodies being pulled out of the wreckage. Third... Inspector Milius was just pronounced dead a minute ago," Hemsfield said. "Actually, it was more like seven," Nick said with a frown.

"Speaking of lies, I specifically instructed these three to stay outside. And then they used your arrival as an excuse to come looking for Milius without authorization," Hemsfield said. "I told them to follow me into the building, Captain. And I told them to find the inspector," Bogo said.

Hemsfield's eyes widened in realization. "Now, where is..." Bogo trailed off as he saw the paramedics moving Milius's body onto the bottom of the body bag before slipping it around and zipping it up. " _Conan_ ," Bogo whispered mournfully. "What happened?" Bogo asked. "He disobeyed my orders and engaged the terrorists first chance he got," Hemsfield said.

"Hey, he called us to help apprehend two of them," one of the wolf security guards piped up from where he was sitting, nursing his injured leg after it had been hit by a falling mannequin in a lingerie store. "Were the two of you with Inspector Milius at the time that this happened?" Bogo asked them. "Not quite. We were helping an injured survivor down the stairs when he called out to us, so we didn't arrive until... after he had been shot," the second wolf said.

"Why wasn't he moved onto a stretcher earlier and taken to an ambulance?" Bogo asked sternly. "Inspector Milius insisted that we focus on finding and helping civilians first," the kiang paramedic said. Bogo sighed mournfully. "Get... get his body out of here," he said.

"Wilde, Wilde, and... R-Rookie," Bogo said. "I have a name," Clayworth said. "No one cares," Hemsfield said, causing Clayworth to frown. "What is you name again, Officer?" Bogo asked the vixen. "Janet Clayworth," she replied. "Clayworth, go with the Wildes and help search for civilians. I'll notify Captain Hingle that you were brought here by them," Bogo said. Janet nodded her head before following Nick and Judy over to a store where rescue workers were moving rubble around. They all had a long day ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Inspector Milius is dead, the terrorists have killed more people, and Clawhauser is still in the hospital. In the next chapter, the Prey Liberation Front make a public declaration of their intentions.


	6. Declaration Of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the attack on the Elkwood Plaza, the Prey Liberation Front deliver a message to the ZPD, stating their intentions and demands.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is the property of Disney.

* * *

**Declaration Of War**

* * *

Date: Friday, September 20th, 2021

Riding in the back of their new van, Welker turned to look at the injured fallow doe who was bleeding out onto the floor of the van. "Tom, we need to get rid of her," Welker said. "What? No, she's still alive! She just needs a little time to recover!" Tom Valdez replied. "I say that she's dead," Welker said, noticing that the doe's breathing had become shallow.

"No, she's alive! She's alive, Welker!" Tom retorted. "A shoulder wound is still fatal, Tom. We both know this," Welker said firmly as he quietly brought out his pistol. "No! She's alive, and she's going to recover!" Tom shot back. Welker aimed his pistol at Sara and fired three rounds into her torso.

"There, now she's dead. We're going to dump the body," Welker said coldly. "S-Sara! N-No! Sara, no!" Tom cried over his mate's dead body. "Why!? Why, Welker, why!?" Tom cried out in anguish. "Because she's dead weight and she'll only slow us down! Now get rid of the body!" Welker shouted back at the buck. Tom let out an anguished cry.

"It's for the greater good," Welker said, somewhat softly. "She was already dead when that pred shot her, Tom. She died a martyr, like Furlowe. If we get caught because we're lugging her body around, then her sacrifice will be in vain," Welker said. Tom slowly and reluctantly nodded his head. "Remember, power to the prey," Welker said. "P-Power to the prey," Tom repeated.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One, Later That Evening...**

Chief Martin Bogo walked over to a cubicle in the Homicide Department. He watched as Captain Martin Glover slowly packed Inspector Milius's few belongings into a large cardboard box. Glover turned around and stared at Bogo. "I heard the report," Glover said. "We received a package in the mail room today. It's from an unknown address, but our tech boys have found that it's a video disc," Glover said.

"Who was it from?" Bogo asked him. "Our friendly neighborhood terrorist group," Glover said with a grunt as he lifted the box onto Milius's desk before disconnecting the cables and wires from the computer desktop and the monitor on top of it. "I already had Milius's computer checked for sensitive data. We got everything that he had," Glover said.

"Has Hemsfield been informed of the video yet?" Bogo asked him. "No. I'd like to review it myself, or at least give it someone else I'd recommend for the investigation," Glover said. "Who do you have in mind?" Bogo asked him. "Well, I was thinking of putting Furrero on the case. She was already investigating the two dead soda company employees whose van was stolen by the terrorists, so... I figure since the two cases are related, I might as well bring her in," Glover said.

"What about Gibson?" Bogo asked him. "He's already in," Glover said. "When?" Bogo asked him. "Just before we got the call about Elkwood Plaza," Glover said. "Hemsfield won't be too thrilled about new additions to the team," Bogo said. "I don't give a fuck," Glover said.

"Hemsfield may be a captain, but Milius was one of _my_ detectives," Glover said. "He was an asshole, sure, but he was still good at his job," Glover said. "I've lost too many cops in the past year, Martin. I know that Furrero and Gibson can work well together. If only I'd called Milius back to the station earlier, I could've put all three of them together, or at least made Gibson Milius's partner. Maybe he'd still be alive if'd done that," Glover said bitterly.

"Anyone else you want on the team?" Bogo asked him. "No. And don't give me Wilde and Wilde. I only put them on that operation last year because it was connected to Mr. Big, and they both had insight into how he operated. They don't have any connection to this, and now information that could help us. They're staying out of it unless one of them gets abducted," Glover said as he finished putting Milius's computer in the box. "After we get the hard drive wiped, I'll give this thing to someone over in records. One of their machines died last week," Glover said.

"Oh, the video is in my office, Chief. Help yourself," Glover said before walking away.

**Thirty Minutes Later...**

Sitting in his office, Chief Bogo put the disc in the tray and then closed the tray into the DVD player. He put on his glasses and grabbed the remote, waiting for the video to start. After a small gray screen with date and time notations in the upper corner, showing that it was a DVD-RW disc, the video started playing. Standing in front of a dark screen was a shadowy figure, wearing dark clothes, obscuring their face. The audio was apparently dubbed over after the video had been shot. " _Attention, citizens of Zootopia. We are the Prey Liberation Front, and we are here to free you from the shackles of oppression created by the predator population. Predators may make up only ten percent of your population, but they have far too much power at their disposal._ "

Bogo snorted and shook his head. " _It is our goal to put predators in their place. Our ways of going about that are as follows: we want the government of Zootopia to first instill a curfew for all predators living within its borders. Second, we want all predators to be declawed and de-fanged. Third, we want to bring back the great equalizer; the pred-collar. With all of these changes, we can keep the predators in their place and make Zootopia safe for everybody. We can make the world a better place for all prey! Power to the prey!_ "

Bogo shook his head again, remembering Bellwether and her Night Howler conspiracy. " _We also implore the Zootopia police department to make these changes immediately. If you do, then we will allow your predator officers to remain within your organization. You have twenty-four hours to make an official announcement of compliance. Furthermore, we wish for the release of revolutionary Dawn Bellwether from prison, as well as public apologies for the imprisonment of the following prey who were convicted of harming and attacking predators. Prey who attacked predators_ _ **and**_ _fellow prey may stay in prison._ "

"This is nonsense," Bogo muttered to himself, pausing the video with the remote. Just then, Sergeant Canby, a hippo, burst into Bogo's office. "Chief, there's been a video released on the news! ZNN is reporting on it," Canby said. "I'm busy reviewing some evidence right now," Bogo said. "But Chief! It's from the terrorists!" Canby protested. "Is it about the terrorists demanding curfews and de-fanging for predators?" Bogo asked him. "Y-Yeah. How'd you know?" Canby replied.

"We were just sent the same video today, Canby. I'm reviewing a copy right now," Bogo said with a sigh. "Oh. Do you want to set up a meeting with the other officers so that we can all review it for clues to the terrorists' possible hideout?" Canby asked him. "It's probably in a basement somewhere, and nearly every building in Zootopia has a basement," Bogo said.

* * *

**Zootopia Maximum Security Prison # 01, The Meadowlands**

Sitting down at a table in the cafeteria, Milton Lisker looked up at one of the TV's showing the news. " _And after Inspector Conan Milius was confirmed dead at the scene of the attack. Chief Bogo has announced that a press conference will be held tomorrow at noon in order to released information to the public. When asked if he was going to appear, Mayor Evarhyde said that Assistant Mayor Grant would fill in for him, as he already has several meetings scheduled for tomorrow with important officials within Zootopia's City Council,_ " News Anchor Fabienne Growley reported.

"M-Milius?" Lisker asked in shock, prompting Furmington Benezio to shake him by the shoulders. "Hey, Milt, you okay?" Furmington asked his former superior. "Benezio... Lisker just died. They just reported it on the news," Lisker said in shock. "How?" Benezio asked him. "Watch and listen," Lisker said, pointing to the TV, as Fabienne Growley continued speaking.

The report on the Prey Liberation Front continued, soon catching the attention of all of the prisoners in the building who were watching, including Dawn Bellwether, who watched from a few tables over in the cafeteria. Lisker looked back over at the small ewe, who was sitting by herself at a table in the corner, and saw several animals turning their heads to glare at her as the Prey Liberation Front's announcement video was played again, along with footage of the carnage and devastation from the Elkwood Plaza attack. Several animals, many of them predators, began getting up from their tables and making their way over to where Dawn was sitting.

Lisker looked up at the guards, some of whom were also predators, turning their heads away from the sight. Frowning, Lisker got up and motioned for Benezio to follow him. "What are we doing?" Benezio asked him. "Preventing an unwarranted assault," Lisker said as he strode over to Dawn's table, grabbing his tray and telling Benezio to grab his as well. "Are you serious? I mean, Milton, seriously?" Benezio asked him.

"We were officers of the law once, Furmington. And it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak, and we are strong," Milton said as he walked over to Dawn's table and sat down across from her. He motioned for Benezio to do the same, causing the tiger to roll his eyes before joining his former boss at the table. The other predators continued their advance.

"Hey _Smellwether_ ," one of them, a large tiger with an eye-patch, spat at the tiny ewe. Dawn shivered in fear as she looked away from the two predators sitting across from her and up at the large tiger, who was even bigger than Benezio. "Looks like you've inspired quite a few followers," the tiger, whose name was Sage Fangler, said to her with a wicked grin.

"Sage, she had nothing to do with it," Lisker said as he looked up from his tray. "I'd say she has plenty to do with it," Sage said as he put a paw on Dawn's head, making her squeak with fear. "Sage, you don't touch a sheep's wool like that. Take your paws off of her," Lisker said firmly.

"And what if he doesn't?" a jaguar asked him. "Yeah, Lisker. What if we all decide that we wanna have a little _fun_ with Dawn?" a lion asked him. "Then I'll just have to remind you that I'm the cop who killed the Constellation Killer," Lisker said. "And don't forget, I used to have a habit of murdering mob bosses and rapists," Lisker said as he stood up and looked the lion in the eye.

"So? You're one of us now, Lisker. You don't have a badge or a gun anymore," Sage said, squeezing the fluff on Dawn's head. Benezio stood up. "Fangler, let her go. It's obvious that those nut-jobs on the news aren't related to her," Benezio said, surprised at his own words.

"Sure, or maybe you just want a piece of her for yourself. After all, it's been a while since any of us have had a good time," Sage said. "Sage... you really _did_ deserve all those beatings you received as a child, didn't you?" Lisker asked him with a sneer. "What did you say?" Sage asked with a snarl as he removed his paw from Dawn's head.

"Come around to my side of the table and I'll say it again," Lisker said with a grin. "I ain't fallin' for that. Not this time," Sage said. "Oh, and it only took you fifty times to actually learn something. Not bad," Lisker said. Dawn closed her eyes as she felt Sage grab her head with her paw again, this time digging his claw-tips into her head. She let out a squeak of terror and pain, before she felt the pressure being relieved almost immediately. She then heard a gasp and looked up to see Lisker holding Sage by the throat, digging his claws into the tiger's flesh and causing small droplets of blood to fall onto her face.

"Guards! Inmate Sage is choking on food! He needs immediate medical attention! And some throat lozenges!" Lisker called out, grinning as he pushed Sage away onto the floor. The other animals slowly began to back off as they saw the murderous intent on his face. "Now just remember something, punks. Just because I'm an inmate doesn't mean that I'll go along with your depraved little gang activities. I used to kill criminals worse than you guys for a living. Remember that," Lisker growled at them.

"Is there a problem?" Warden Jasmine Swinton asked as she walked into the cafeteria and saw Fangler on the floor, clutching his throat. She looked over at Dawn, who seemed slightly ruffled up, and Lisker, who was standing in a clearly defensive posture. Swinton looked around and the other prisoners, who were just now going back to their tables. Having just seen the new report, and the mention of Dawn Bellwether's name by the terrorists, Swinton quickly deduced what was going on.

"Inmate Bellwether, is everything all right?" Swinton asked the ewe, who meekly turned around and looked at the female pig with the biggest and most terrified eyes Swinton had ever seen. "Is inmate Lisker disrupting the peace of the cafeteria?" Swinton asked the ewe. "N-No, Warden Swinton," Dawn replied. "Inmate, Benezio, can you tell me what was occurring just a little while ago?" Swinton asked the tiger. "Uh... shit went down?" Benezio replied with a shrug.

"Hmm... Lisker, please do not harm your fellow inmates," Swinton said pointedly to the wolf. "I was merely defending Miss Bellwether from an unwanted and unwarranted assault by Sage Fangler," Lisker said. "Is this true?" Swinton asked Dawn. "Y-Yes," Dawn stuttered. "Don't bother asking the guards. They turned their heads to look the other way," Lisker said.

Swinton glared at the wolf. "Inmate Lisker... discretion is the better part of valor, assuming that you have any left," Swinton said. Lisker chuckled at her comment. "I appreciate your candor, Warden Swinton. I'm just... going to eat my meal quietly," Lisker said as he sat down opposite of Dawn. "If there are any further disruptions... I'll be back with the necessary enforcements. All of you, behave yourselves," Swinton said before she turned away and walked out of the cafeteria.

Dawn looked up from her food at Lisker. "Th-Thank you," she said meekly. "You're welcome. Now, eat your food," Lisker said before resuming his own meal. Benezio stared at the wolf and the ewe before shrugging his shoulders in defeat and finishing his meal.

* * *

**East Savannah Apartments, Apartment 423**

" _Are you sure that you're okay? A lot of animals were injured and... killed... in that attack,_ " Bonnie Hopps asked her daughter over the Muzzletime app on their phone. "We're fine, Mom. We didn't arrive at the scene until after the bad guys had gotten away," Judy said. " _Was anyone else hurt? You know, fellow officers? Fire fighters? Rescue workers? Nick?_ " Stu Hopps asked his daughter with concern.

"The first cop on the scene died," Nick said with a frown. " _Who died on the scene?_ " Stu asked with concern. "One of the first responders, Inspector Milius, was killed by the terrorists after he went inside to help evacuate the people who were still in the building," Judy said sadly. " _Milius? Wasn't he that cheetah who helped you guys with that case involving that boat and those lizards last year?_ " Stu asked her.

"He was a _leopard_ , Dad. He was a _leopard_. At least you could try to get his species right. He died trying to save people's lives," Judy snapped. " _S-Sorry, Jude. I just... I don't know many big cats, and... I try, but I can't always tell their species apart if I haven't met them more than once,_ " Stu said apologetically. "I-I know. I'm sorry for yelling at you, it's just... today's been stressful for everyone," Judy said.

" _As long as you're all right, Judy,_ " Stu said. "What about Nick?" Judy asked her father. A look of hesitance crossed his face. "Dad!" Judy whined. " _Look, I... You're my little girl! And-And your father just thinks of his own offspring before his in-laws,_ " Bonnie cut in. "He's always asked about my sisters and brothers' spouses," Judy said, miffed. " _Well, not all of them. I mean... remember that earthquake that hit the West Coast last year where your sister, Penny, moved with her husband and his folks?_ " Bonnie asked Judy.

"I remember hearing about it on the news, but I don't think I was aware that Penny had moved there at the time," Judy said contemplatively. " _Well, considering that your father absolutely_ **hates** _Penny's husband and his family, he didn't even_ _ **bother**_ _asking about anyone but her and her kits_ ," Bonnie said. "Wow, that makes me feel _so much_ better," Judy said sarcastically.

" _Hey, I did ask if Nick had been injured! And that's more than I ever thought to ask about Penny's husband or his folks!_ " Stu cried out in his own defense. "He's got a point. A small one, but it's there," Nick said begrudgingly. " _So... uh, none of Nick's, uh, relatives were injured today, were they? I mean, his folks weren't anywhere near that building when it happened, right?_ " Stu asked.

"As if I my mother would have ever been _allowed_ in that building," Nick scoffed. " _Huh? What do you mean?_ " Stu asked, confused. Nick turned his head to look at Judy. "He can _not_ be serious, can he?" Nick asked his wife. Judy sighed. " _Stu, what Nick means is that... well, his kind have only recently started being viewed by the public in a less negative light, thanks to his efforts on the police force_ ," Bonnie said, trying to step in and diffuse things. Stu's eyes widened in realization. " _Oh! I-I thought that with all of that 'Anybody Can Be Anything' motto, that, well, you know, things wouldn't be that way. I mean, I know that most folks don't trust... foxes... in general... but I figured that the animals of Zootopia would be, you know... polite enough to not kick anyone out of there stores just for their species_ ," Stu said.

"Dad, you gave me a _fox taser_ as a going-away gift when I first moved out here," Judy said. " _Well, I still figured that Zootopia was all that you said it was, having never been there myself at the time_ ," Stu replied. "Well... there were a few foxes in that thrift store," Judy said, blanching after she remembered that they had been corpses. " _Look, what's important right now is that both you and Nick are safe. You both have the weekend off, right? So, why don't you both just stay inside and relax. Watch some TV, play some games, have some... marital fun,_ " Bonnie suggested, causing Stu to widen his eyes at her last suggestion.

Nick's eyes widened as well, not expecting his mother-in-law to encourage him to actually have sex with her daughter in any capacity. Then again, she _had_ been okay with him wanting to marry Judy in the first place. "Well, uh, we'll certainly take that into consideration, Bonnie. Maybe you and Stu should have some marital fun as well?" Nick suggested, causing Judy to look at him with raised eyebrows.

" _After_ we turn off the phones, of course," he said, embarrassed. "Yes. _After_ ," Judy said in agreement. " _Bon, did you really just say that? I mean, that boy married my daughter! I don't care if he's a fox or a zebra! I don't need to think about any of my daughters getting it on with their mates!_ " Stu exclaimed at his wife. " _Oh, hush, Stu. Look, Judy, you and Nick stay safe and we'll talk to you guys tomorrow night, okay?_ " Bonnie said as she grabbed the phone.

"Yes, Ma'am," Nick said with a smile as he ended the call. "So... your dad seems to be warming up to me better," Nick said. "Well, I guess we should've actually had a wedding instead of just eloping and getting a certificate signed with Chief Bogo and Clawhauser as witnesses," Judy said. "Hey, Fangmeyer and Burns were there too," Nick said. "Yeah. If only McHorn hadn't been stuck in traffic, he would've made it too," Judy said.

"Heh. Say, Judy? Which one of us told your parents that we were married first?" Nick asked his wife. "You did, when you accidentally told Clawhauser to tell my parenst for us," Judy said. "Oh, that's right. That way _he'd_ be the one facing your father's reaction instead of me," Nick said with a grin. "And it still backfired on you," Judy said with a wistful sigh. "Well... wanna go check on Clawhauser at the hospital tomorrow?" Nick asked his wife. "Yeah. I think... I think we should do that. It doesn't matter if he's awake, just seeing him might help boost everyone's spirits," Judy said. "Goodness knows we all need it," Nick said in agreement.

* * *

Date: Saturday, September 21st, 2021

**The Mayor's Office, City Hall**

Sitting in his office, Calvin Evarhyde looked at his daily planner. "Are you sure that it's a good idea to go to a ball game in the middle of a terrorist crisis?" Evarhyde asked Tosser. "Well, if you go out and walk around Zootopia, it'll help enforce the notion of a strong mayor who isn't afraid. It'll help boost the morale of the citizens, which is something we desperately need," Tosser said.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Assistant Mayor Martin Grant said. "Look, the mayor will still have his guards with him and will be wearing... business casual, to make him stand out a bit less," Tosser said. Something about Tosser's behavior had Grant slightly on edge, but the fact that Tosser was always a kiss-up, and the fact that he always tried to make his plans sound like they would benefit the mayor, made Grant cast doubt on his own suspicions.

"Well, what about the meeting with the City Council liaisons for the Traditional Family movement?" Evarhyde asked him. "That's scheduled for this morning, before the ball game, which doesn't happen until three in the afternoon anyway. You also have an appointment with the planning committee for the Zootopia Heritage Festival again this afternoon, and Chief Bogo is expected to be there after the press conference," Tosser said.

"Right, which _I_ will be attending," Grant said. "Oh, come on! You feel the least uncomfortable around those predator police officers, so it's best that you be the one to go there," Evarhyde said. Grant rolled his eyes in response. "Look, the fact that some of the things that the terrorists demanded in that video are already being planned for the police department isn't going to sit well with Chief Bogo, and I'd rather not face his wrath for something I had no part in," Grant said.

"Hey, that policy was drafted well before this terrorism incident occurred, so no one can blame us or say that we capitulated with terrorist demands," Evarhyde said smugly. "It's still not going to sit well with the ZPD. Over half of them are predators, Evarhyde. If something happens, they may not be so quick to come to your aid. Keep that in mind," Grant said. "Please, they'll lose their jobs if they don't come to the aid of government officials," Evarhyde replied.

"Now, what else in on the schedule for today?" Evarhyde asked Tosser. "Ah, yes, we have a meeting with the investigation team in an hour, including some new members," Tosser said with a frown. "New members? Who was added?" Evarhyde asked. "Um, a Roger Gibson was added to the roster yesterday, and a Cynthia Furrero was added just this morning. They both had worked closely with Inspector Milius during that mercenary incident last year," Tosser said.

"As long as Hemsfield keeps them in line, there shouldn't be any problems. They'll solve this case and put those terrorists in prison, and then we can use that as part of our own anti-terrorism policy... promotion or something, proving that we can make Zootopia far safer than Mayor Thorneberry ever did. This will be very handy during re-election time," Evarhyde said with a grin. Grant rolled his eyes at Evarhyde before gathering the papers he would need for the press conference, along with his tablet.

Tosser took out his cell phone. "I'm going to check on the status of some of your sponsors," Tosser said as he started looking up various contacts on his phone. "Kiss-ass," Grant muttered under his breath.

* * *

**East Savannah Apartments, Apartment 423**

"Uh-huh. Yeah, we'll be there in a little bit," Nick said into his phone. "Hey, Delgato? Thanks for the info. Oh, we will. Bye," Nick said before hanging up the phone. "So, you ready to head over to the hospital?" Nick asked Judy as she exited the bathroom. "Yeah," she said.

"Should we stop and get flowers on the way, or should we just head straight over?" Nick asked his wife as they prepared to depart. "We'll head straight over, and then we'll get some tomorrow before our next visit. Right now I just wanna go talk to Clawhauser," Judy said as she buttoned up her tan shirt. Nick was wearing a green shirt and khaki pants, as was Judy. "Got your phone with you?" Nick asked her.

"You got your keys?" Judy asked him in return. "Of course. Would you ever doubt me?" Nick asked her in response with a slick grin on his face. "Hmm, considering that you've forgotten both the car keys _and_ the keys to the apartment at least twice in the past year... nope, not once have I doubted you," Judy replied with a smirk of her own.

"Touche," Nick replied as he opened the door and let his wife out first, before closing the door behind him and locking it with his key. "See? I remembered it," Nick said. "Good. Now let's head over to see Clawhauser," Judy said. "Do you think anyone's told him about what happened yesterday yet?" Nick asked his wife as they made their way down the hall. "I guess we'll have to find out after we get to the hospital," Judy responded. "Eh, most likely," Nick said in agreement.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Standing in Chief Bogo's office were Captain Hemsfield, Sergeant Gibson, Detective Furrero, Captain Glover, and Chief Bogo himself. "Chief, listen, I know that we're one animal down, but we don't need two more cops to replace just one," Hemsfield said. "Hey, Milius was our friend," Gibson said. "And that's another thing. I am aiming to _capture_ these terrorists alive for information, not kill them outright. We need to know how many of them there are, how many cells they have, and other information on their organization," Hemsfield said.

"You do raise a valid point, Hemsfield, but believe me, these two are quite capable of bringing in violent individuals alive," Bogo said. "Sir, we are dealing with _prey_ terrorists. We need officers who can think like prey," Hemsfield said. "And besides, Sergeant Gibson here has just as bad of a reputation for causing destruction as Milius did," Hesmfield added. "Um, those weren't always my fault," Gibson said.

"Sir, Gibson and I can handle this. We've dealt with dangerous individuals before," Furrero spoke. "Yeah. We were part of the team that took down Arjun Rooter and confiscated all of the drugs and weapons on the Vera Alus," Gibson added. "Yes, and if those weapons had been disposed of _properly_ , instead of simply being locked in a warehouse, then we wouldn't be in this mess," Hemsfield said.

"You don't know that for certain," Furrero said. "Really? Because the Zootopian Defense Force hardware was locked up properly, so the terrorists would never have gotten those weapons before someone found them," Hemsfield retorted. "This is pointless," Glover muttered as he ran a paw over his face. "Look, if the three of you are going to bicker, then please do it outside," Glover said. "I just don't think that we need a destructive individual added to this case when we already have enough destruction from yesterday to deal with," Hemsfield said.

"Look, Hemsfield. Gibson and Furrero are on the team, whether you like it or not. However," Bogo said, turning to look at Gibson and Furrero, "If either of you step out of line, I will flop you harder than whale shit. Do you both understand?" Bogo asked them. "Yes," Gibson said. "Absolutely, Chief. Speaking of whale shit, what have you found since that video was released, Hemsfield?" Furrero asked.

Hemsfield glared at her in silence.

* * *

Joe Welker looked at the text message on his track phone. He smirked as he read the message, before turning to look at his remaining cohorts. "Hey, our next operation starts in three hours," Welker said to everyone. "Get those rocket launchers ready and make sure those suppressors are attached properly to those guns," he added. He quickly sent a text message back to his contact.

* * *

**Borealis Hospital, Tundra Town, An Hour Later...**

Benjamin Clawhauser quietly used the remote to flip through the channels on the TV. He was tired of seeing the news reports of yesterday's terrorist attack. He was tired of being injured. He was tired of being relegated to a hospital bed. And, most of all, he was tired of feeling useless. The door to his room soon opened, and a Springbok nurse stepped inside. "Mr. Clawhauser, you have two visitors," she said.

"Who are they?" Clawhauser asked her curiously. His eyes widened with delight as a familiar fox and bunny stepped inside the room. "Hey, Clawhauser! How're ya feelin'?" Nick asked him with his familiar smirk. "Better than when I got hit," Clawhauser replied. "Well, that's good to hear," Nick said.

"It's been kind of melancholy without you at the station," Judy said as she and Nick walked over to a pair of chairs and sat down next to Clawhauser's bedside. "Of course it is," Clawhauser replied. Judy looked up and saw that Clawhauser had been watching the news. "So... what all have you heard lately?" Judy asked him carefully.

"I spoke to Wolford and Delgato earlier. They told me about Inspector Milius," Clawhauser said with a frown. "Yeah. Captain Hemsfield of the Sixth Precinct is in charge of the investigation now," Judy said. "Pfft. Hemsfield's a jerk," Clawhauser spat. Judy's eyes widened at Clawhauser's response.

"So everyone else has noticed. Did you know that, according to the two security guards who with Milius before he died, Hemsfield was busy shouting at the inspector through his phone, threatening to have him demoted if he didn't comply with his orders?" Nick asked Clawhauser with disgust in his voice. "I'm not surprised," Clawhauser replied bitterly. "He's always had this need to be in control of everything and everyone around him. Believe me. He could've been right there by Milius's side and still made those threats," Clawhauser added.

"No way. There's no way that someone could be _that_ callous and uncaring! Even those mercenaries from Reptaelia cared about each other's well-being! When they found out that me and Nick had killed one of their comrades, they went ballistic!" Judy replied. "Yeah. Even... even _Lisker_ cared about the safety of his subordinates... when he wasn't ordering them to beat or murder their fellow officers," Nick admitted through gritted teeth.

"Nick... come on, let's... let's stay focused," Judy said, gently placing a paw on Nick's arm. Nick began to calm down as Judy gently rubbed her paw up and down his arm. "Right. So... how's the hospital food here in Tundra Town? Is it any different from what we get in Savanna Central?" Nick asked the cheetah.

"Well... I only woke up around midnight, then I went back to sleep, and then Wolford and Delgato arrived to check on me. They have oatmeal for breakfast... not too bad. I get to choose what flavor I want, so... that's nice," Clawhauser said. "Huh. When I was in the hospital, they made those choices without my input," Judy said. "Yeah, but you also had Nick trying to smuggle food from home for you as well," Clawhauser said.

"Yeah... that was sweet of him," Judy said with a smile and a blush. "So... you don't know what their lunch or dinner options are yet, do you?" Nick asked Clawhauser. "Uh, no. Not yet. I'll be sure to let you know when they come around, though," Clawhauser said. "So... what else has happened so far... other than, you know, the obvious?" Clawhauser asked them.

* * *

**Blue Fern Stadium, Around 04:00 pm...**

Looking down at his watch, Tosser took out his cell phone to check his call messages. He then gently nudged Evarhyde in the shoulder. "Sir, I just received a text message from one of our sponsors. They've changed the meeting schedule to an hour from now. We need to get going," Tosser said quietly. "Really? Are you sure?" Evarhyde asked his assistant. "Unfortunately," Tosser said with a frown.

"Well, I can always watch this later on TV, I suppose," Evarhyde said quietly as he got up, along with Tosser and his security. The small group of animals made their way out of the packed stadium and up the stairs before entering the entrance halls and descending a set of stairs. As they exited the stadium, Evarhyde's security made their way over to their car as one agent followed him and Tosser into their other car.

"Alright, where to?" Evarhyde asked with a sigh. "We'll be heading back to City Hall," Tosser said, looking at his phone. The driver, a wolf, nodded his head and pulled out onto the main road, with the security car following behind them. The security guard sitting in the back seat with Evarhyde and Tosser, also a wolf, looked out the window next to him.

Soon, as the two vehicles neared an intersection near the freeway, a large van pulled out next to them from an alley and drove up beside the mayor's car. The back of the door opened and a deer holding a rocket launcher aimed his weapon at the security car behind the mayor's car. Evarhyde looked out the window in shock as he saw the deer fire at the security car behind them, blowing it up. "Holy shit! Driver, get us out of here!" Evarhyde exclaimed. Tosser merely kept a neutral expression on his face the whole time.

"My buddies were in that car!" the security wolf exclaimed. The van soon pulled ahead of the mayor's car and stopped in front of it, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes. "Ah!" Evarhyde hissed as he was jerked around in the car, while Tosser had already secured his seat belt tightly after getting in the car. Evarhyde rubbed his neck as he saw the deer get out of the van, along with two hares, two rams, and a mountain goat.

The security wolf pulled out his pistol and readied it, as did the driver of the car, before the animals swarmed around the stopped vehicle. The driver quickly put the car into reverse and tried backing up, only to stop when he saw the deer fire an RPG several meters behind them. "What do they want?" Evarhyde asked fearfully.

The largest of the hares, who had white and black fur, along with a Mohawk, marched forward. The goat and the two rams marched alongside them, while the deer reloaded his SMAW back by the van. The wolf quickly sat up and positioned himself in front of Evarhyde and Tosser. "Stay behind me, sir," the wolf said as he kept his pistol ready.

The Mohawk hare ordered the other hare, a gray-furred female, to go over to the door. She was carrying a large PR65 in her paws. "What do they want?" Evarhyde asked again. Tosser quietly raised a hoof and made a motion. Evarhyde noticed this and glanced at Tosser curiously, just before the two rams marched over and stood in front of the driver's door. " _Turn off the engine!_ " one of the rams ordered the driver.

"I think you'd better do as he says," Tosser said. "Are you crazy? We'll never get out of here if I do that," the wolf retorted. "Just do it," Tosser said. "They have that rockert launcher thing with them. If we don't cooperate, it's bye-bye for all of us at once," Tosser added. "Dammit," the driver growled before putting the car in park and turning off the engine. He kept his pistol hidden as he looked at the rams.

" _Open the doors! We want the mayor!_ " the hare shouted. "Over my dead body," the security wolf growled. " _I said open the fucking doors! If you will not comply, then we will use our big gun again!_ " the Mohawk hare shouted. "Just open the damn doors!" Tosser exclaimed. "Fine," the driver spat, before opening the passenger side door and crawling out, bringing up his pistol and firing at the rams. He hit the first one in the head, but the second ram fired back, hitting him in the torso, neck, and head with his SMG. The driver fell back to the ground a bleeding mess.

Using the confusion, the security wolf also opened his door and fired at the gray hare, missing as she ducked and fired back, hitting him in the gut and upper torso, causing him to fall back onto the seat. "Mayor... run!" the wolf spat before the Mohawk hare shot him in the face with his M1911. "I don't think so," Mohawk said with a satisfied grin. "Tosser, thank you for your compliance," Mohawk said.

"Wh-What the _fuck!?_ " Evarhyde asked in confusion. "Sorry, Calvin. It's nothing personal, just business. Besides, this whole thing is part of a bigger plan that will end with us coming out as heroes for saving millions of lives," Tosser said with a grin. "Welker here will take you back to their hideout, and I will make sure that the new set of rules for the police go through immediately, after which, the Prey Liberation Front will return you to us, and we will comply with the rest of their reasonable demands," Tosser said with a smug smile.

"Now, about my payment, though?" Tosser asked Welker. "Yeah, about that... there's been a change of plans," Welker said with a smirk before raising his pistol and shooting Tosser in the head, blowing his brains out. "Now, come with us, Mayor," Welker said. "I'm not going anywhere with _you_ ," Evarhyde spat. Welker frowned. "Donna? Please use the taser," Welker requested with a sigh as the gray-furred hare walked over and pulled a large taser out of her pocket, leaping forward and jabbing it into the mayor's torso before activating it, knocking him out long enough for the group to grab him and carry him over to their van.

The Prey Liberation Front quickly drove away from the scene, merging onto the freeway and heading for their hideout in the Meadowlands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: And there's the sixth chapter of Zootopia: Furry Fury. The next chapter will have a hostage situation, Hemsfield being an asshole, and Nick and Judy doing what they do best yet again: getting either one or both of themselves into life-threatening situations. And, hey, I finally featured Dawn Bellwether in some capacity in the Reckless Endangerment series! Be sure to let me know what you guys think of this chapter and/or the story so far in your reviews.


	7. A Sort-Of Crisis Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mayor has been kidnapped, civil unrest is building, and now the Prey Liberation Front seem to hold all of the cards... or do they?

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

* * *

**A Sort-Of Crisis Situation**

* * *

Date: Saturday, September 21st, 2021

Nick and Judy had just arrived back at their apartment when Nick felt his phone vibrate. Checking the caller ID, he saw that it was Sergeant Gibson calling him. "Rog, what's up?" Nick asked. " _Hey, Wilde. Can you and Judy come into the station tonight or tomorrow? There's a... situation unfolding right now, and Chief Bogo wants everyone available,_ " Gibson asked.

"What's the situation?" Nick asked him. " _Those terrorists abducted Mayor Evarhyde today, after he left a very important baseball game_ ," Gibson replied. Nick could practically feel the sarcasm dripping through the lion's voice. "Oh. I thought you wanted us for something important," Nick said. " _I guess that's a matter of opinion, but Captain Hemsfield is throwing a fit right now, and... I'd like to have you and Judy join our team. Whaddaya say? For Milius?_ " Gibson asked them.

"I think Milius would probably just walk away from this one," Nick said. Judy turned her head and looked at him. "Nick, is that Gibson on the phone?" she asked him. "Yeah. Wanna talk to him? He's got something very interesting to tell you," Nick said before he handed the phone to his wife. "Gibson, what's going on?" Judy asked him. " _Judy, I'm pregnant. Nah! Just kidding! But, seriously, though, the mayor was abducted today by the Prey Liberation Front. You have a knack for detective work, despite not passing the test, so I was hoping might be willing to help us out a bit_ ," Gibson said.

"How soon do we need to be at the station?" Judy asked him. " _Eh, Bogo's not planning to hold a meeting until tomorrow. Forensics is still working over the crime scene, but there really isn't much of a mystery to this one. The bad guys intercepted the mayor and killed everyone around him before abducting him_ ," Gibson said. "So... we don't need to to be there until tomorrow? What time tomorrow?" Judy asked him. " _Don't know yet. I'll call you back after I find out,_ " Gibson replied.

"Sounds good. We'll be waiting," Judy said. " _Alright. Bye,_ " Gibson said before ending the call. Judy hung up Nick's phone before handing it back to him. "So... tomorrow?" Nick asked her. "He didn't say what time the meeting would be held, and the forensics teams is still collecting evidence from the scene," Judy relayed to her husband. "Well, knowing who was abducted, I think we have time," Nick said.

"Nick! It doesn't matter if we like the mayor or not! An abduction is still an abduction, and we're still police officers! We can dislike Evarhyde all we want, but the fact remains that he is still a citizen of Zootopia, and we swore to protect the animals who live here and uphold the law to the best of our abilities," Judy ranted fervently. "Okay. But, let's just wait for Gibson or whoever to call us back with more information before we do anything. Is that acceptable to you?" Nick suggested. "Yes," Judy replied. "Okay," Nick said before reaching over and pulling his wife into a hug.

* * *

_**ZNN Special Report** _

Peter Moosebridge and his snow leopard co-host, Fabienne Growley, both straightened out their suits as they prepared to go live. "Hello, welcome to a special report from ZNN. Yesterday, the terrorist group known as the Prey Liberation Front released a video making a series of demands, including the return of Predator Collars, and the mandatory de-fanging and de-clawing of predator citizens in Zootopia," Peter Moosebridge said. To her credit, Growley kept a neutral expression on her face.

"Earlier today, some of our on-the-streets reporters interviewed various members of the Zootopia Police Department after a press conference was held by the ZPD and City Hall. The mayor, who officially declined due to 'important meetings', has not been available for comment," Moosebridge said, before the screen behind them showed footage of the interviews with police officers and Zootopia's citizens.

" **Excuse me, do you think that the ZPD should comply with the terrorists demands in order to save the lives of citizens?** " asked the reporter. " _We are not de-fanging ourselves, and we are not losing our claws. They're a part of who we are,_ " a tiger officer replied. " **But what if the lives of millions are at stake?** " the reporter asked. " _I... I don't have an answer for that._ "

Next was an interview with a wolf officer. " _Bringing back Pred-Collars? They're F# king crazy, man. If it comes down to it, I'll fight. I'll fight to the very end to keep my freedom. No one's putting a collar on me. Nobody._ " " **What if they bomb a public location because of your refusal?** " asked the reporter. " _Still not happening. I'm not giving up my freedom. Especially not because of some nut-cases with inferiority complexes like the Prey Liberation Front._ "

After that was an interview with a hippo officer. " _It's not right, you know? I mean, some prey are more dangerous than a lot of predators. Thousands of years ago, hippos were actually among the most dangerous animals in our ancestral lands. Not even crocodiles would attack us, so to try and make predators second-class citizens like this... it's just not right,_ " he said.

Next was a series of interviews with citizens on the streets. " **What do you think should happen if the Prey Liberation Front attack a public location because the ZPD refused their demands?** " the reporter asked a rabbit doe. " _Well, they're public servants, right? I mean, it's their job to serve and protect the public, so... if their actions cause us to get hurt or killed, then they aren't doing their jobs,_ " she replied.

" **Excuse me, do you think that the ZPD should comply with the demands of the Prey Liberation Front?** " the reporter asked a large yak. " _Uh, gee. I don't know man. Like, each animal has a right to freedom and stuff. Like, the police already put their lives on the line for us everyday, so maybe we could, like, do the same for them for once or something? I mean, didn't we already have this kind of problem when Bellwether came into power?_ "

The next civilian was a female hippo and her young son. " _If it means saving lives, then they should do everything possible to protect as many of the citizens of Zootopia as they can. They can make that sacrifice. It's their job,_ " the mother hippo said.

The next civilians were two otters, husband and wife. " _No, it isn't right. Zootopia is where anyone can be anything, and forcing one group of animals to become second-class citizens like that... it goes against the very foundations of this city. It was founded by predators and prey uniting and living together as equals._ "

The next civilian interviews was a male kudu. " _Well... it's the duty of the police to protect us, but... don't they already put their lives on the line enough? And aren't predators and prey supposed to be equal here anyway? Like, don't the terrorists demands go against the very ideals of why Zootopia was founded?_ "

* * *

Date: Sunday, September 22nd, 2021

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Inside the main briefing room, Chief Bogo held the attention of every on-duty and off-duty officer in Precinct One. "Alright, officers. Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Evarhyde was abducted by the Prey Liberation Front. His security detail was killed, and so was his aide, Carl Tosser. We have no clues to the current whereabouts of Mayor Evarhyde or his captors," Bogo said. Off to the side were Captain Hemsfield, Detective Furrero, and Sergeant Gibson.

"Having accessed the contents of Mr. Tosser's phone, it has come to our attention that he was, unfortunately, involved with the terrorists on some level. Text messages sent and received by his phone indicate that the late Mr. Tosser had communicated with a terrorist, referred to in the contact list as Mister Future, in order to maneuver the mayor into a location where he could be abducted," Bogo continued.

"Apparently, Tosser was expecting payment of some kind from the terrorists, but as his corpse indicates, things did not go as he expected. His records have been seized, but nothing has been found that sheds any light on the location where the terrorists are hiding or holding Mayor Evarhyde at this time. We have not heard any ransom demands from them yet, and we have not received any statements since the video they sent to us through un-traced sources," Bogo explained.

"The recording equipment on the bodies of the two security guards found at the scene were damaged, but did retain enough data for our forensics teams to piece together some audio from the abduction," Bogo said before he grabbed a remote and pointed it at the screen behind him. The screen remained blank except for the audio data displayed at the bottom and the progress bar as the audio from the attack played out from both guards.

" _And we will comply with the rest of their reasonable demands. Now, about my payment?_ " Tosser's voice asked. " _Yeah, about that... there's been a change of plans,_ " a gruff voice could be heard saying before the sound of Tosser being shot was heard. Everything from that point continued until Bogo stopped the audio.

"Our teams are still investigating the original copy of the audio to determine the vehicles used and the identities of the terrorists. However, we now have some names, although we don't know for certain if they are aliases or not," Bogo said. "The names, as heard in the recording, were Welker and Donna," Bogo said. He then motioned for Cynthia Furrero to walk over.

"At this time, we have compiled a list of all individuals in Zootopia with the name of Welker, both first, last, and middle, as well as Donna. This has given us a good one fortieth of the entire population," Cynthia said. Nick raised a paw into the air. "Yes, Sergeant Wilde?" Cynthia asked him. "Um, do we know for certain that these individuals are residents of Zootopia? I mean, weren't we told earlier that these guys stole a van outside of Zootopia's borders?" Nick asked her.

"Yes, that is indeed true," Cynthia replied. "So... would compiling a list of Zootopia's residents really be all that helpful?" Nick asked her. "There's always the possibility that these individuals may have relatives or friends who live here, or that they may have lived here at some point prior to leaving, if they lived here at all," Cynthia replied. Nick nodded his head in understanding. "Now, currently, Assistant Mayor Grant is in charge. At this time, no plans are being made to comply with the terrorists previous demands by either this department or Assistant Mayor Grant," Cynthia said.

Sergeant Eric Burns raised a paw. "Yes, Sergeant?" Cynthia asked him. "Um... I was just wondering if-" Burns was interrupted by the phone ringing on the main desk. Bogo sighed and walked over to it. "ZPD, Precinct One, Chief Bogo speaking," Bogo said into the phone. "Uh-huh. When?" Bogo asked as he looked at his watch. "How soon?" he asked.

"I understand," he said after a minute. "Yes, of course. I'll have the investigation team head over there with me. Just give us fifteen minutes," Bogo said, causing several animals in the room to raise eyebrows and whisper to each other in confusion. "Thank you, Mr. Grant. Bye," Bogo said before putting the phone down. "We've just received a communication from the terrorists. They are going to call the mayor's office again in twenty minutes. Hemsfield, Furrero, Gibson! I want the three of you with me. Higgins, inform Captain Glover that he is to get over here and continue the briefing. He's already been briefed ahead of time," Bogo said.

Higgins nodded his head before exiting the room. Bogo then marched over to the door and motioned for the other three to follow him. "Now, all you kids in here behave! And no partying while we're gone," Gibson said humorously before exiting the room, causing a few of the animals inside, Nick included, to chuckle.

A few minutes later, Higgins returned with Captain Glover in tow. "Okay, Bogo, where-oh, he's already left! Bastard," Glover muttered as he scanned the room. He sighed before walking over to the podium. "Okay, where did Bogo leave off?" Glover asked. Nick raised his paw. "Actually, Furrero had taken over and was giving us information from the scene of the abduction," Nick said. "And Burns here was about to ask her something," he added.

The tiger nodded his head. "Okay, what were you gonna ask, Burns?" Glover asked him. "Well... is this really... that big of an emergency?" he asked nervously. Glover glared at Burns with a raised eyebrow. "Unfortunately, yes, it is. Likeable or not, the mayor is the mayor. Still, we don't have to rush into action just yet, if that's what you're asking," Glover replied.

**The Mayor's Office, City Hall, Fifteen Minutes Later...**

Assistant Mayor Martin Grant sat at Evarhyde's desk, staring at the phone in anticipation. Chief Bogo and his investigation team stood nearby, with recording equipment setup. "We arrived on time, right?" Hemsfield asked as he checked his watch. "We got here a minute early," Gibson said, checking his own watch.

After another minute, the phone rang. Grant quickly picked it up from the desk, after making sure that the recording equipment was turned on. "H-Hello? Assistant Mayor Grant speaking," Grant asked. " _Are the police there?_ " asked a gruff voice on the other end. "Y-Yes. I have Chief Bogo in the room with me," Grant replied, before putting the phone on speaker mode.

" _Please give him the phone, or set it to some kind of speaker. I don't want to have to repeat myself,_ " the voice said. "Just... who are you?" Grant asked him. " _We are the Prey Liberation Front,_ " the voice said. "We know that, but who are _you?_ " Bogo asked into the phone.

" _I'm the guy in charge of this operation. Now, it's been well over twenty four hours since the deadline we set in that video that we sent you on Friday,_ " the voice said. "The demands were found to be unreasonable," Grant said firmly. " _I have your mayor at gunpoint. Are these demands still unreasonable? I mean, thanks to Tosser, you guys have a policy that's supposed to come into effect by the end of the year concerning all predator police officers,_ " the voice said.

Grant and Bogo looked at each other. 'That _bastard_ ,' Grant mouthed. Bogo nodded his head in agreement. " _So, with a policy already in place, you should have no problem enforcing it_ ," the voice said. "Where's the mayor?" Bogo asked. " _He's safe... for now. Enforce the curfew against predators by tonight, or else at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon, we will blow up a mostly predator school in Savanna Central. I won't tell you which one, but if you don't want to see any children suffer, then you'll comply with our demands. Now, we also want you to begin enforcing the de-fanging and de-clawing of predator officers today, in one hour. We'll have someone watching, and I expect you to contact us when at least thirty officers have been de-fanged and de-clawed. All thirty are to stand outside of the Police Station in full view when you make the call,_ " the voice said.

"Look, who the hell are you?" Grant asked, agitated. " _Call me Mister Future, for I shall be shaping it_ ," the voice said. " _Again, you have one hour to begin the de-fanging and de-clawing, and I don't want just felines. I want canines a well. I want them outside in full view, so that my observer can see them from whichever angle they choose,_ " Mr. Future said. "What happens if we don't comply?" Grant asked him. " _Then a bomb goes off in a hospital all the way across town,_ " Mr. Future replied.

"That son of a bitch!" Hemsfield spat in anger. Gibson raised an eyebrow at the deer. " _You have one hour to begin, and I expect thirty predator officers to be standing out front before noon, or else a hospital goes boom. It's been nice talking with you. Good bye,_ " Mr. Future said before hanging up. Grant put the phone back onto the receiver. "Did we get the call traced?" Grant asked.

Cynthia looked at the laptop that the recording equipment was connected to on a nearby desk. "Yes. It's from... a pay phone near Peak Street," Cynthia said. "Gibson, Furrero... get right on it. Hemsfield... scout the area outside of the station for vantage points. See if you can find who might be observing the area," Bogo said. "Yes, sir," Hemsfield said curtly before turning around and leaving the room.

"Chief, you aren't seriously considering giving into these guys... are you?" Grant asked the cape buffalo. Bogo turned around to look at the beaver. "Not if I can avoid it, but we're simply going to have some of our officers' claws clipped, and their mouths will have towels and napkins over them, with blood squibs popped on them. We're going to play it quiet and subtle. We're going to produce the _illusion_ of compliance in order to give ourselves more time," Bogo said.

* * *

The moment Bogo returned to the Bull Pen, he began explaining the situation. "What if they see through it?" Nick asked him. "Look, I want all prey officers on duty to begin searching hospitals throughout Savanna Central," Bogo ordered. "But, Chief, we'd have the best noses for finding the explosives," Wolford proclaimed. "I know, but if they see a significant number of predator officers leaving the station, then they may act on their promise. I will not risk innocent lives so early," Bogo said.

"But trying to dupe them like this is still risking innocent lives, isn't it?" Judy asked him. "I-I... yes, but we don't have much time. We have forty minutes to begin, so let's move it!" Bogo ordered. Several rhino, hippo, and elephant officers began moving out of the room. "Sir, where did the phone call come from?" Judy asked him.

"I already have Gibson and Furrero working on it. They're in plain clothes, so the terrorists won't recognize them right away," Bogo explained. "A lot of us aren't in plain clothes either," Nick pointed out. "Wilde, do not try anything. These animals have access to lethal weaponry, and you don't," Bogo warned. "No, but they can still check the hospitals, seeing that Nick is a fox, and his nose is pretty damn good," Fangmeyer pointed out.

"Hey, yeah! And he's off duty, so no one will recognize him," Wolford said. "I'm also a fox, and even after so many years, I still get suspicious glances from animals in stores and hospitals," Nick said. "Then the two of you can check the spot where the call was traced," McLeod suggested. "The call was from a pay phone. Dozens of animals would have used it and we don't know the species of these terrorists, other than that two of them are deer, two were rams, and one is a mountain goat," Bogo said. "We don't even know which species the caller was," he added.

"It's still worth a look," Nick said. "Wilde-" "Let them do it, Chief," Glover said wearily. "Glover, I'm in charge," Bogo said. "Yeah, and do you want to catch these bastards before they blow up a hospital or not?" Glover asked him pointedly. "Fine. The pay phone was located on Peak Street, _but_ , the two of you are to be as discrete as possible," Bogo said. Judy and Nick nodded their heads.

"Now get out there, and don't forget to grab a-you know what? Here, take mine," Glover said as he reached into his suit and pulled out a small pocket taser. "I want this back when you're done, and don't lose the cap," he said, handing it to Judy in front of everyone. "I understand," Judy said with a nod, before turning around and joining her husband in the hallway.

"Do you really think that was wise?" Bogo asked Glover. "Chief, we have a crisis situation on our paws. Those two have already demonstrated that they're capable of detective work, so why not?" Glover asked in response. "They didn't pass the test," Bogo replied. "Like I give a shit," Glover said, rolling his eyes. "I think I'm beginning to understand where Milius got that attitude of his from," Bogo said in dawning realization.

* * *

**Twenty Minutes Later, At Peak Street...**

Nick parked his car along the sidewalk before turning off the engine. "Okay, there's the pay phone," Nick said. "Remember, count the change in your pocket, in case anyone is watching," Nick said quietly as they got out of the car. Judy pulled some loose change out from her pants pocket as she and Nick walked up to the pole that the phone was connected to, with Nick counting change in his paw as well.

While looking at the call-price sheet, Nick sniffed the pay phone for clues. "There was... a hare here recently," Nick said. "Who else?" Judy asked him. "Mm... a wolf, a cheetah, a gazelle... a springbok, a hippo... but the freshest is a hare... or a rabbit. Definitely a lapin of some sort," Nick said. He'd been exposed to enough rabbits and hares during his time with Judy and her family to recognize the basic signatures in all lapin scents, although he still confused certain individuals with each other if they were closely related. Judy's was the only scent that he could immediately recognize apart from the rest of her family, given how intimate he and she were on a daily basis.

Looking down at the ground, Nick saw a strand of fur. "Hey, Carrots, do you have any plastic baggies with you?" Nick asked his wife. "Yeah, but why do..." Judy looked down at where Nick was pointing. Taking out a bag, Judy crouched down and gingerly picked it up with the tips of her very short claws. Nick moved his snout forward and sniffed the hair before Judy put it in the bag. "A male hare or rabbit, definitely," Nick said.

"Any idea where they went?" Judy asked him before he got onto all fours and started sniffing around. "Someone had a quickie here last night," Nick said before resuming his search. Judy followed him as he made his way across the street and over to an empty alley between two buildings. "There's exhaust here. He had a vehicle in this area. I can't track something like that," Nick said.

"Come on. Let's get back to the car and return to the station," Judy said. "Wait... this is a one-way street," Nick said. "So, he could still take any turn after going a certain distance," Judy said in response. "True... but there are traffic cameras here," Nick said with a grin as he pointed at one on the opposite side of the street, and another one near an intersection not far from their position. "Nick, you're a genius!" Judy exclaimed as she hugged her husband. "Oh, I know," Nick said with a smug grin.

"Come on, let's get back to City Hall and check the traffic cameras," Nick said as he led his wife back over to their car.

**Twenty-Five Minutes Later...**

Rushing up the stairs of City Hall, Nick and Judy had to avoid several animals walking through the hallways, including a moose with blue paint on his outfit. Heading for the new Assistant Mayor's Office, Nick and Judy quickly knocked on the door. "Oh, are you guys looking for Assistant Mayor Grant?" a bison asked them. "Yeah," Judy said. "He's actually in the Mayor's Office right now. He's taking over until Evarhyde can be found," the bison said before he walked over to an elevator and got inside.

Heading over to the Mayor's Office, Nick and Judy let themselves in. Grant was talking on his phone. "I know, but do you have enough for all thirty of them? What if they see through the ruse?" Grant asked worriedly, before he looked up and saw Nick and Judy standing in the doorway, waving at him eagerly. "Uh... hold on," Grant said. "Can I help you?" he asked Nick and Judy before they walked over to him.

"We need to use the traffic cameras," Judy said. "What for?" Grant asked them. "We believe that we have a lead. If we can check out the footage from the traffic cameras, we believe we can track down the animal who called earlier and made those demands," Judy said. "Huh?" Grant asked her. "Wait... I recognize you. Yeah, you're both cops. Here, talk to Chief Bogo," Grant said before handing his phone to Judy.

"Um, we still need to see the traffic cameras to find our lead," Nick said. "Wait, do you mean the pay phone on Peak Street? I thought that those other two detectives were already on it?" Grant asked, just before Gibson and Furrero entered the office. "Grant, we need to use the traffic cameras to-uh, hi, Wilde," Gibson said, surprised at seeing Nick and Judy.

"Yeah? Okay, thanks Chief!" Judy exclaimed. "Here," she said before giving the phone back to Grant. "Wait, are _none_ of you working together? What the hell kind of task force did Bogo assemble!?" Grant asked in bewilderment as he realized that Nick and Judy had been working independently of Gibson and Furrero.

"The traffic cameras, please?" Nick asked him. "What? Oh, sure. Just... you guys really should work together instead of apart," Grant muttered before resuming his call with Bogo. Nick and Judy quickly ran out of the room, with Gibson and Furrero tailing behind them. "Hey, wait guys! You're gonna need the keys from Grant!" Furrero said before running back to Grant. A minute later, she made her way over to the door to the closet where the traffic cameras were monitored.

"Well, this place really hasn't changed much," Nick said as he looked around. "Oh my god, Bellwether's coffee mug is still here," he said as he saw the World's Greatest Dad mug, with Dad crossed out and replaced with Assistant Mayor. He ran a finger over the mug, looking at the dust that had collected onto his fur. "Yeesh, I bet all of Bellwether's contact numbers are still in here too," Nick said. "This is probably how Tosser was able to locate and communicate with the terrorists," Gibson said.

"I don't know. I doubt that Tosser had the keys, and this place doesn't look like anyone's actually used it except for the maintenance staff and possibly Grant," Nick said. "Well, the shelves are all clean, and the server racks look touched up. The mug was probably the only thing not touched... much. See that half-circle spot neard it where there's less dust than everywhere else?" Furrero pointed out. "Huh. I can't believe I missed that," Nick said.

Meanwhile, Judy had already begun checking out the footage from earlier. "There it is," she said to herself as she saw a black & white furred hare with a Mohawk wearing blue jeans and a green flack jacket walking away from the pay phone on one screen, while another screen then showed the van he was in driving off, showing a ram in the driver's seat. "Another ram," Judy whispered to herself. She watched the route being taken by the van as it made its way through Savanna Central, before driving through the Rainforest District. Eventually the van entered the transitional tunnel to the Meadowlands. Judy watched intently as the van passed through areas spaced apart, before it pulled into a small town area and parked itself near a shack next to a hill-side home.

Judy looked at the camera number and traced it to the street address. "Guys, we have an address!" Judy exclaimed. "We do?" Gibson asked her. "Yes! We need to get a search warrant, and then we can head over there and investigate," Judy said eagerly. "Okay then, let's get that warrant," Furrero said. "Wait... if we're gonna go in there, then we're going to need to look inconspicuous, or at least we need to disguise our operation. These guys have heavy-duty explosives and automatic guns," Gibson said. "Couldn't we just go back to the station and get some more guns for ourselves, with Glover's permission?" Nick asked him. "Running back into the station right now to get more guns would be a bad idea, especially since that would give us away to whoever is watching and waiting," Gibson said.

"Well... if we need disguises, I think I know where to find some," Nick said with a devilish grin on his face. Judy raised an eyebrow, before she caught onto her husband's meaning. "You guys take care of the disguises, and we'll get the warrant. We'll meet up with you at... um, where's the location again?" Furrero asked. "It's in the Meadowlands, at one-forty-three Reed Street, in the Hilltown area," Judy replied. "Right. We'll meet up there after we get the warrants. Good luck on the disguises," Furrero said as she led Gibson out of the room.

* * *

**Somewhere In Savanna Central, Fifteen Minutes Later...**

With his van parked in an alley, Marion "Finnick" Finster grumbled as he replaced the rear left tire on his van. "Lousy potholes," he muttered as he tightened his wrench around the next bolt. His ears twitched and parked up as he heard the sound of a car coming up behind him. Looking back, he saw Nick pulling up behind him before parking his car less than two meters away. "Finnick! Hey, we need your help," Nick said as he and Judy got out of Nick's car.

Finnick raised an eyebrow. "My help? For what?" Finnick asked them. "You know those outfits that we would dress up in for our scams?" Nick asked him. Finnick glared at him. "Yes. Yes, I do remember those horrible things," Finnick said flatly. "Well... you wouldn't happen to still have any of those around, would ya?" Nick asked him eagerly. " _Why?_ " Finnick asked him suspiciously.

"Fin, we believe that we've found the hideout of the Prey Liberation Front. We're going to investigate the location, with a search warrant, but we don't have enough weaponry to defend ourselves if they decide to attack us. We need disguises so that they don't realize what's up if they see us outside," Judy explained. "What did you have in mind?" Finnick asked her. "Well, can we see what you've got?" Judy asked in return.

Sighing, Finnick put his wrench on the ground and walked over to the door of his van before opening it. "Take a look for yourself. I need to finish replacin' this tire," Finnick said before returning to his earlier task. Hopping inside the van, Nick and Judy looked around before they found a box of various costumes and suits. "Hey... hey this might work," Nick said as he held one particular outfit up in front of Judy. "You have _got_ to be _kidding_ ," Judy said with a glare.

* * *

**Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One**

Standing outside of the station, over eight predator officers milled around, many holding bloodied towels to their mouths as they "whimpered" in pain. Looking down on this from a rooftop perpendicular to the station, Doug Ramses picked up his phone and called Welker. "Hey, Welker, they're actually doing it," Doug said. " _They are!? I don't believe it. We're winning! We're winning! How many pred officers are outside the police station right now?_ " Welker asked him. "Uh, let me count... I'd say about eight or nine," Doug replied as he looked through his binoculars.

" _Which species?_ " Welker asked him. "We've got lions, tigers, bears, and wolves," Doug said as he looked at each officer. "I think your crazy scheme might actually work," Doug said. " _Of course it will. Their duty is to protect the citizens of Zootopia, and that means that the lives of hundreds of civilians outweigh the needs of their officers,_ " Welker replied confidently.

"How long should we give them for the rest to come out?" Doug asked him. " _Give them another hour, but keep that detonator ready in case they try anything_ ," Welker replied. Doug nodded his head in understanding. "Okay, I'm gonna go to the bathroom now. I'll check on them every fifteen minutes," Doug said into the phone. " _I'll be waiting. And remember, power to the prey. Welker out,_ " Welker said before hanging up. "Yeah, power to... whatever," Doug said unenthusiastically. "Just when the hell am I getting paid?" Doug asked himself quietly as he set his binoculars down and made his way over to the rooftop door.

* * *

**143 Reed Street, Hilltown, The Meadowlands...**

Judy Wilde frowned in contempt for the outfit that she was wearing. "Oh, that is just too cute," Cynthia snickered as she looked at the Wilderness Cub outfit that Judy was wearing. "Don't worry, Judy, I'm sure you'll sell _plenty_ of cookies," Gibson remarked. "Nick, how did I ever let you convince me to put this damn thing on?" Judy asked him. "Hey, you still have your other stuff underneath it," Nick said.

"Yes, and it is _very uncomfortable_ ," Judy retorted. "Yeah, but if they see one of us wearing that outfit, they won't buy it for a second. Besides, I've seen Wilderness Cubs operating out here before. They have plenty of rabbit members around here," Gibson said. "He's right. You really won't arouse much suspicion, if any at all," Cynthia agreed. "Fine, but I am _not_ wearing this thing again," Judy said. "At least now I know why Finnick was so eager to abandon you during our first case together," Judy added when she turned to look at Nick.

"Oh, _please_ ," Nick chortled. "That is _not_ the worst outfit that he'd worn for our scams," he added with a grin. "Sadly, I believe that," Judy said with a sigh. She then looked over at the house just a few yards away. "Okay, here goes nothing," she said after taking a deep breath. "You guys start fanning out and looking for evidence," Judy said as she grabbed a forged Wilderness Cub sale sheet and flyer, along with a catalogue.

Putting on her best act, Judy merrily skipped and hopped along her way to the front door of the hillside house. She gingerly knocked on the door three times, waiting for it to open before knocking again. "Hello! Wilderness Cubs!" she sang with an eager smile on her face. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Nick and the others carefully making their way to the shack and the back of the house. She started knocking on the door again, this time stopping when it opened and a brown-furred hare opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked her in a mix of annoyance and forced pleasantness. "I'm with the Wilderness Cubs! Would you like to buy some cookies from us?" Judy asked with an eager smile as she handed a catalogue to the hare. "You look a bit old for a Cub," the hare said. "I'm training to be a Cub leader!" Judy proclaimed happily. "Good for you," the hare said before he flipped open the catalogue.

His eyes scanned the pages, before stopping for a minute, looking back up at Judy with scrutiny before resuming his scan and flipping to the next page. "See something you like?" Judy asked him. "Well, sure. How about these Coconut Crisp Lovelies?" the hare said as he held the catalogue out for her to see. "Coconut-" "Right here," the hare said, pointing at the bottom of the page. "Okay! how many would you like?" Judy asked him.

He handed the catalogue back to her, and just as she took hold of it, he grabbed her arms and pulled her into the doorway, slamming the door shut before throwing Judy against the wall. "I know for a fact that those are a discontinued item, you little shit! Who the hell are you!?" the hare hissed at her. Judy's eyes widened as the situation spun out of control.

Grabbing the Cub hat and tossing it off of her head, the hare looked her over. "Wait a minute... you're Judy Hopps, the first bunny officer of the ZPD," the hare said with a smirk. "I-I don't know what you're talking-" "Save it, Babe," the hare said with a grin. "You're here to investigate us, and that filthy fox partner of yours has clearly brainwashed you into thinking that predators are equal to prey," he muttered. "No one has brainwashed me, asshole," Judy spat back at him.

"Let me guess... you have _feelings_ for that piece of garbage, don't you?" he asked her as she stepped forward, bringing a knife out of his pants pocket. "He's my husband," Judy said with a glare. "You... you're _married_ to a pred!? You're _disgusting!_ " the hare exclaimed with a glare.

"Yeah," Judy retorted with a grin, "I have hot sex with him every night too. We've tried every position and pace we can think of. Sometimes he's real gentle with me, as though I'm made out of glass. Sometimes, it's nice and rough. And sometimes, we're desperate and practically ravaging each other like savages," Judy said with a smirk, watching the hare squirm.

"You're disgusting. You've been tainted almost beyond redemption. Prey belong with prey, not with predators. You've shamed yourself. _But_... I think I know how to fix that," he said, causing Judy to raise an eyebrow. He slowly moved forward, grabbing his pants and unbuckling them before unzipping the fly. "I know how to fix you. I'll make you pure again," he said darkly, causing Judy's eyes to widen. She reached for the pocket taser that Glover had given her earlier, but the hare was faster, pinning her arms to the wall.

 _Let him think that he has the upper paw, Judy. Lure him into a sense of false-security,_ she mentally told herself as she feigned the weakest resistance possible against the hare. "W-What's your name?" Judy asked him. "John, and you can call my _purifier_ Johnny Junior," John said to her with a sick smile. "I'll make you forget all about that filthy perverted pelt," John whispered into her ear, causing Judy to frown and grimace in revulsion.

Slowly, without letting him on, Judy raised her right leg and foot. She briefly glanced down and saw John's endowment. "I've been knotted by a fox. _That_ won't even take me _half_ the distance that my husband has," she said with a smirk. "We'll see about that, won't we?" John asked her with a smirk of his own. "No, we _won't_ " Judy replied with a smile, before she brought her other leg and foot up, quickly changing her plan and slamming her feet around John's little Johnny, twisting it and causing him to howl in pain before he stumbled and fell back to the floor.

Making a mental note to clean her feet thoroughly later, Judy grabbed her pocket taser and rushed over to John, tasing him in his already sore and sensitive dick. His eyes bugged out at the shock and he gagged for breath before he blacked out. "Purify _that_ , asshole," Judy spat at her would-be rapist. She then turned her attention to the sound of an opening door in the kitchen.

"Hey, John, what's going on up-what the fuck?" a male fallow deer asked in confusion. Judy quickly put on her act again. "He-He tried to rape me! I was just trying to sell cookies, and he dragged me inside and tried to rape me! He's a monster!" Judy exclaimed, pointing at John's open fly. "Tom, what the hell is going on up-oh shit," another hare, this one with black and white fur, said as he walked out into the kitchen and looked at the sight in the living room.

"Joe, this doe says that John just tried to _rape her_ ," Tom said to the hare. "What?" Joe asked him. "Look, his dick's hangin' out," Tom pointed out. Joe then walked over and looked at Judy, sizing up her appearance and seeing the Wilderness Cub outfit and flyers on the ground. "You look kind of old for a Wilderness Cub," Joe said, before he narrowed his eyes and looked at John. "What troop number are you from?" Joe asked Judy as he walked over to John's unconscious body.

"Uh... it's... well, I'm actually training to be a Cub leader, so I don't officially have a troop number," Judy said nervously. "Is that so?" Joe asked her skeptically. Looking over, he saw the taser that was still in Judy's paw. "So... do you always carry a taser around in the Meadowlands?" Joe asked her. "Well, I will from now on," Judy replied. "I thought this place was supposed to be safe," she added.

Joe turned to look at Tom. "Tom... go downstairs and tell Donna and Alexis that game night is over. John just got himself into police trouble," Joe said with a raise of his eyebrows. Tom nodded his head knowingly before heading downstairs. Judy, paying attention to the two males, realized that one of them... was onto her. "Um, I'm gonna go outside and never come to this place again. Being a Wilderness Cub isn't worth almost getting raped," Judy said.

"No, but you're not a Cub either, are you?" Joe asked her as he turned around and took a gun out of his jacket pocket. Judy quickly assumed a fighting stance as she stared Joe down. "I guess I should have asked for _all_ ZPD officers off duty to report to the station as well," Joe said.

"Mister Future, I presume?" Judy asked him. "Very good. Now, tell me, why did John here try to shove his dick in you?" Joe asked her. "He wanted to... _purify me_ , because I'm friends with predators at the ZPD," Judy said, not willing to find out what a speciest with a gun would do if they found out that she was sleeping with or married to a predator as well. "A bit of an overreaction," Joe said.

Joe then squinted at Judy and furrowed his brows. "You aren't here alone. Where's your partner?" Joe asked her. "Somewhere," Judy responded vaguely. "Okay. I can shoot you and-" Joe stopped as he looked over at the window. Judy glanced over and saw the movement outside, recognizing that large shape of Sergeant Gibson.

Judy quickly grabbed her hat from the ground and threw it at Joe before dashing to the door and opening it, leaping out of the way as Joe fired at the wall. One bullet actually passed the tip of her cottony tail, causing her to yelp with surprise as she stumbled out of the house. Judy quickly ran over to Gibson's side as he pulled out his Bearretta 92/FSL. "Get to the car and call for backup," Gibson said.

Meanwhile, back inside the house, Joe Welker ran back over to the doorway of the basement, before looking at John's unconscious body on the floor. "Fuck 'im," he said to himself as he ran down the stairs. He quickly rushed over to the series of guns laid out on a crate. "Okay, the police know we're here, and their gonna be at our doorstep soon. Grab whatever you can carry, and someone make sure that the mayor is able to move. We need insurance," Welker ordered. He took out his phone and called Doug.

* * *

Doug slowly and carefully picked up his phone, keeping his eyes on the deer pointing a gun at him. Pressing the TALK button, and then the speaker mode button, Doug spoke. "Hey, Welker. What's up?" Doug asked into the phone. " _The ZPD found out hideout. We're getting ready to bug out, with the mayor as insurance. If you can, detonate those explosives and meet us at the train platform near Pine Street. We'll taking the one closest to us in the Meadowlands_ ," Welker said over the phone.

"Gotcha. Get to the Meadowlands," Doug said. " _No, no! We are LEAVING the Meadowlands! We'll be taking the train to the loop that goes out of Zootopia as soon as possible. Get your van ready and prepare to leave with us,_ " Welker said. "What about my payment?" Doug asked, keeping his eyes on Captain Hemsfield. " _I should've figured you'd be like this. Okay, there's an assortment of five thousand dollars in a suitcase in your van. It needs a code to unlock it, but the code is written on a piece of paper in the bag with the detonators. Happy?_ " Welker replied.

"Yes. I am _very happy_ ," Doug replied. " _Good. If you run into trouble, don't lead the police to the train station. Make your own way out. They might not be looking for you yet,_ " Welker said. "I understand. It's been nice doing business with you, Welker," Doug said before hanging up. "So... you'd willingly blow up innocent people just for a few thousand dollars? That's pretty shallow," Hemsfield said.

"Like you're one to talk. I recognize you, Captain Hemsfield. As if you deserve that rank. I remember how the last guy in charge of Happytown did a bad job, but at least he wasn't a completely incompetent nitwit. How many officers under your command are dealing drugs behind your back? How many of them are selling stolen evidence for extra cash? Hemsfield... you may think that you're in control, but the said truth is that you're ego is all that you've got," Doug said.

"Yeah? And you'll have nothing after I lock you away. And all of that money you were gonna get paid? It's going straight to evidence... in Precinct One, where no crooked cops can touch it," Hemsfield said. "Huh... I didn't think you were this stupid," Doug said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Hemsfield asked the ram. "It means, my dear captain, that the 'money' is actually a bomb, and the moment I unlock the suitcase, it's gonna activate and blow up in my face," Doug said.

"Hell, I'm... probably better off in prison. Three meals a day... no looking over my shoulder. I can always say that these psychos threatened to kill me if I didn't help them. I mean, they do have guns and heavy ordinance," Doug said with a wry smile. Taking a pair of paw cuffs out of his pocket, Hemsfield slowly stalked forward, keeping his gun trained on Doug. "You know what? Whether you resist arrest or not, I'll make sure that you spend the rest of your natural life in prison, but if you tell us everything that you know... maybe we can work out a deal for a... _relatively_ lighter sentence," Hemsfield said.

"Hmm... I trusted Welker and that got me into trouble, and trusting _you_ most certainly won't bring me any fortune either. So... it looks like I'm fucked either way," Doug said with a frown as he analyzed his current situation. "At least I won't blow you up with a bomb disguised as a suitcase full of money," Hemsfield said as he inched closer. "Well... I suppose that's true, so... [sigh] fine, cuff me, you egotistic asshole," Doug said in disgust as he held out his hooves.

"I can't believe I'm willingly doing this," he said to himself in disgust. Hemsfield slapped the cuffs around his wrists. "Now... which hospital is the bomb in?" Hemsfield asked him. "Huh?" Doug asked him. "The bomb! Which hospital is it in? And which school is the other bomb in!? Where are the bombs located?" Hemsfield asked him. "The hospital bomb is in St. Vernon's Children's Hospital," Doug said with a sigh. "Ch-Children's Hospital!? You sick fucks," Hemsfield muttered in disgust. "Technically, it was Welker's idea, not mine. I didn't plant any of the bombs either," Doug said in his defense.

"I don't give a shit," Hemsfield growled before taking out his phone and calling Chief Bogo. "Hey, Chief, the hospital with the bomb is the St. Vernon's Children's Hospital. It's on-which floor is it on?" Hemsfield asked Doug. "I have no idea," Doug replied. "You'd better not be lying to me, or you're gonna have a lot of bruises before we leave this roof," Hemsfield threatened. "I'm not lying to you! I don't know which floor it's on!" Doug replied.

" _Hemsfield, what were you about to say? What's going on?_ " Bogo asked him. "It's in St. Vernon's Children's Hospital. I have one of the terrorists cuffed, Chief," Hemsfield said into the phone. " _Search them for weapons. I'm sending the bomb squad to the hospital,_ " Bogo said. "Yes sir," Hemsfield said before hanging up. "Now, we're gonna have a nice long talk," He said to Doug. "The leader is a black & white furred hare named Joe Welker. He's a fucking psycho," Doug said. "I was actually going to ask you where all of the other bombs are located," Hemsfield said, slightly caught off-guard by Doug's statement.

"I only know the locations of the hospital bomb and the school bomb. The school is the Young Paws Elementary School," Doug said. Hemsfield called up Bogo again. "Chief, I have the name of the school that the other bomb is in. It's the Young Paws Elementary School," Hemsfield said. " _Good work. I'll have another bomb squad sent over there ASAP. Find out what you can about the rest of the terrorist cell. We just got word from Wilde. They found the hideout and the location of the mayor. We're sending in a SWAT team to the Meadowlands right now,_ " Bogo said. "Understood, Chief," Hemsfield said before hanging up. He looked back at Doug. "Now... let's talk about your friends," he began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And here's the seventh chapter. The next chapter will have a big shoot-out between the police and the terrorists, and a train fight/chase sequence. We haven't seen one of those since the movie, at least in the Reckless Endangerment series. Let me know what you guys think in your reviews.


	8. End Of The Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prey Liberation Front is on the run, and Nick, Judy, Gibson, and Furrero are hot on the trail. Get ready, because this is the action-packed climax that the story has been leading up to!
> 
> Please note: Feelings of adrenaline rushing through your veins may not be available to all readers. Reader experiences may vary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote much of the later action portion of this while listening to the soundtrack for Total Recall (1990) by Jerry Goldsmith, because Total Recall is easily one of the best action movies ever made, and Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of the finest action scores ever composed. The tracks I listened to the most were Clever Girl, Johnny Cab, The Big Jump, The Massacre, The Treatment, The Hologram, and End Of A Dream. I'd recommend listening to The Treatment and End Of A Dream when you get to the part of this chapter with the train. Both tracks are a pure adrenaline rush. It's a shame that we don't get music like this anymore in American cinema.

Disclaimer: Zootopia is property of Disney.

* * *

**End Of The Line**

* * *

Date: Sunday, September 22nd, 2021 

**143 Reed Street, Hilltown, The Meadowlands**

Nick and Judy, both standing by their car, watched as the SWAT team rolled in and set themselves up in flanking positions around the hillside house. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since Judy had escaped from the inside of the house, and with every passing minute, she became more concerned with the looming reality that they had lost their element of surprise against the terrorists. "Nick? Do you think they'll be able to get the mayor out of there alive?" Judy asked her husband.

Nick had to restrain himself from snorting indignantly. He really didn't care if Evarhyde escaped alive or not. "Uh... we'll have to wait and see," Nick said vaguely, watching as the SWAT team busted down the door and moved into the house. "Let's just hope that Mr. Future, I mean Joe Welker, isn't as smart as he acts," Judy said, remembering how quickly the Mohawked hare had deduced her identity as a cop. A few minutes earlier, they had received call from Chief Bogo, informing them and the SWAT team of the identities of the surviving members of the Prey Liberation Front.

Inside the house, the SWAT leader, a timber wolf, looked around as he led his team through the building. He motioned for two officers to head up the stairs and check the second floor, while signalling for two more to hit the kitchen. He motioned for the rest of his team to stop at the door to the basement. Gently touching the door to push it open, he checked for any signs of wires connected to it, only to find nothing.

There was a rustling sound as he backed up, before leaning against the door frame and listening carefully. There was a muffled voice somewhere down below him. Taking out a small knife, the SWAT leader used the reflection of the metal blade to check the basement before returning it to its holster. He grabbed his SMG and motioned for his team to follow him down the wooden stairs of the house into the basement, checking with flashlights attached to the guns for any signs of the terrorists.

As they neared the middle of the basement, the SWAT team saw a figure strapped to a chair, with a blanket thrown over them. Motioning for two of his officers to move forward, the SWAT leader watched as his men pulled the blanket down to reveal a brown-furred hare, tied up with tape over his mouth. On the buck's shirt was a sign saying "POWER TO THE PREY." "That's not the mayor," the SWAT leader said under his breath, before he finally saw the small object in the buck's paws. As the buck stared at him, the SWAT leader saw the hare's eyes narrow. He didn't even have time to order his officers to retreat before the whole room exploded.

* * *

Outside of the house, Nick and Judy, along with Furrero, Gibson, and two other SWAT officers, leapt to the ground as the house exploded. Fire and debris shot out and smoke billowed into the air before the top of the building collapsed onto itself. "Hanson!" one of the SWAT officers, a female cheetah, exclaimed. "Meyers! Fangelli!" the other SWAT officer, a zebra, shouted.

"Oh god, they were all in there!" the SWAT cheetah cried out. Just then, Judy got up from the ground and listened as the sound of an engine starting caught her attention. She turned her head to look over at the shed near the house, and her eyes widened as a large black van burst out of it, speeding forward and careening onto the road. Judy quickly grabbed Nick and dragged him out of the way.

"What the hell!? We didn't see them leave the house!" Nick exclaimed. "They must've had an underground tunnel!" Judy exclaimed. She quickly ran over to the two surviving SWAT officers. "They're getting away! We need to chase after them!" Judy exclaimed as she pointed to the black van that was speeding away from them.

The zebra officer ran over to the SWAT van and opened the driver side door. "Give me a vest!" Judy requested. "We don't have anything your size!" the zebra retorted as he got inside the van, shouting for his surviving partner to join him. "Carrots! Get in the car!" Nick shouted as Furrero ran over and got in the car. Gibson ran over to the SWAT van. "Hey, let me in the back," he requested.

"Do you have authorization!?" the cheetah asked him. "Does it matter at this point!?" Gibson responded. "Come on, the bad guys are getting away!" Gibson yelled at them.

Inside Nick's car, the fox was calling the station. "Come in, Dispatch! We have an unmarked black van carrying the Prey Liberation Front, heading due west on Reed Street in the Meadowlands! This is Sergeant Nick Wilde, calling for all available units to intercept!" Nick yelled over the radio, just as Judy got in passenger seat and closed the door.

" _Ten-Four, Wilde. This is dispatch. Do you have a license plate for us to track?_ " Dispatch asked over the radio. "Uh, negative," Nick replied as he put on his seat belt and started the engine, before backing up and turning the car around. He saw the van up ahead, getting farther away. "At least, not yet," he said before he put the petal to the metal and drove off, speeding towards the black van.

"This is Sergeant Nick Wilde, in pursuit of the black van on Reed Street!" Nick said as he drove towards the van, soon catching up to it. "I'm gonna try to shoot the tires," Cynthia said as she took the safety off of her Viper 23G pistol. She lowered the window and popped her head out, feeling the air rushing past her and blowing through her fur as she narrowed her eyes at the van up ahead.

"I see it! The license plate is T-R-Seven-Seven-Four-Eight!" Nick shouted. " _Ten-Four, Sergeant. We are processing the information to all available units. Unmarked black van, license plate T-R-Seven-Seven-Four-Eight,_ " Dispatch said.

Meanwhile, up ahead, inside the van, Welker was busy loading his SMG while Vincent McGinnley put an RPG inside his SMAW. "Hey, Welk! We got company!" Kurtz shouted from his seat. "They followed us?" Welker asked with a frown. "Yeah. Medium-sized blue car, large enough for a wolf," Kurtz replied as he put his hoof on the gas pedal.

"McGinnley! Get that RPG ready!" Welker ordered the goat. McGinnley nodded his head. Donna grabbed an SMG as well, attaching a modular barrel extension to it. Alexis Curlton, the lone ewe of the group, grabbed an M1911 and loaded it before grabbing the back door of the van. "Ready when you are!" she shouted. "Make sure the mayor doesn't fall out," Welker snapped, pointing at Evarhyde, who was tied up and gagged on the floor of the van.

Donna rushed over and crouched next to the zebra. "They won't dare fire at us now," she said with a grin. "Open the door," Welker commanded Alexis. The ewe unhooked the latch and swung the rear left door open. "Vincent, get ready!" Welker ordered. The mountain goat crawled forward and took a crouching position as he readied the SMAW.

"I have you now," Vincent whispered as he aimed his weapon at the blue car.

Meanwhile, in the car, Nick turned the wheel and swerved the car, weaving it left and right as he saw the goat tracking his moves. "Hold on!" Nick yelled as he honked the horn, startling the goat as he fired the RPG. Nick moved the car to the right just in time, watching as the rocket-propelled grenade shot past his car. It exploded on impact a few seconds later after hitting the road behind them.

"Try to keep this thing still!" Cynthia shouted at him. "We were almost cooked!" Nick retorted, just as he saw a ewe move forward and take aim with a gun. "Cynthia, they're gonna fire at us!" Nick shouted, prompting the coywolf to turn her attention from the van's tires over to the open door. "Move the car over!" Cynthia shouted.

Nick brought the car over as the ewe started firing at them. Cynthia ducked back into the car before the ewe ran out of ammo. She popped her upper torso back out and took aim, firing at the ewe, who quickly dropped her gun as two rounds hit her. The goat had finished reloading his SMAW and was taking aim when Nick swerved the car around.

In the van, Vincent tracked the movements of Nick's car as he waited for the right moment to fire. "I'm hurt," Alexis whined as she grabbed her gun. She crawled over behind Vincent as she started reloading the pistol, standing up behind him, after she pulled back the slide. "Got him," Vincent said. "Wait, I'm right behind-" Vincent fired prematurely as he was shot by the coywolf, sending the exhaust of the RPG directly into Alexis's face.

Alexis screamed, and Vincent fell back on top of her, dropping the SMAW as he clutched at his chest. "Alexis!" Donna cried out. The blue car moved back into position, and Cynthia fired at them, hitting Vincent multiple times in the torso. "Vince!" Welker exclaimed as he saw his friend spasm. "He's on top of Alexis! Get him off of her!" Donna exclaimed. Welker rushed over and grabbed the door, pulling it shut before locking the latch again.

"Kurtz, get us to the train station!" Welker shouted as he rushed over to a beige-colored case and opening it. He fished out a few grenades before turning around and dashing over to the doors of the van. "What are you doing!?" Donna asked him as she dragged Alexis out from under Vincent's bleeding body.

"It hurts! It hurts!" Alexis cried out as she grabbed at her singed and burnt face. "Make it stop! Please, make it stop!" she cried out desperately. "Shh, it's okay, Ally," Donna said as she grabbed Alexis and scooped her into a hug. "Don't focus on the pain! It's all in your mind," Donna said to her. "Like hell!" Alexis shot back. "Will you shut up!" Welker growled as he opened the left door and pulled the pin of a grenade before throwing it out.

Inside Nick's car, Judy pointed at the grenade. " _Nick, Look out!_ " Judy shrieked. "Just hold on!" Nick said as he sped up and pulled the car to the right, driving over to the side of the van. "Why didn't you do this earlier!?" Judy asked him. "Furrero was trying to shoot the tires! I had to make sure she could hit them," Nick replied.

The grenade soon exploded behind them and the van, causing Judy to cover her ears. "I forgot to bring ear-plugs!" she whined. "There should be a few in the glove compartment," Nick told her. Judy reached forward and opened the glove compartment, rifling through it before retrieving a package of orange ear-plugs. "They're pretty big," Judy commented. "With your ears, you'll need them," Nick said.

Judy shot him a glance. "What? Your ears are sensitive," Nick said in his defense. "Hey, pay attention to the deer!" Cynthia shouted as she pointed ahead of them. Nick glanced back over to see a deer hanging out of the passenger window of the van, holding a grenade. "Aw fuck!" Nick cursed. Cynthia scooted over to the seat behind him. "Pull up!" she urged as she reloaded her gun and lowered the window behind Nick.

"He has a _grenade!_ " Nick exclaimed. "Yeah, he does. But he hasn't pulled the pin yet," Cynthia said. Nick sped up and rammed the car into the van, causing the deer to drop the unarmed grenade. "That thing won't go off, will it!?" Nick asked in surprise and alarm. "He didn't prime it or pull the pin!" Cynthia said, rolling her eyes.

"Raise the windows! He's got a gun!" Judy exclaimed, pointing at the deer, who was now holding an SMG and aiming it at them. "Shit!" Nick exclaimed before letting his foot off the gas pedal, allowing the car to slow down and fall behind as the deer opened fire. "Please don't let those be armor-piercing rounds! Please, don't let those be armor piercing rounds!" Nick begged rhetorically as he fell back behind the van, only to see Welker aiming an SMG at them and firing in short bursts. Nick weaved the car left and right as he tried to avoid the hare's aim.

"God DAMMIT!" Nick yelled in exasperation. "Where the hell are Gibson and the SWAT guys!?" he asked, frustrated and stressed. Judy looked in the rear-view mirror. "I see them! They're catching up to us!" she exclaimed joyously.

Soon, the van took a turn onto High Road. Nick quickly followed them, before he realized what their destination was. "Oh hell, there's a train platform on this street!" he exclaimed. "Where does it lead?" Judy asked him. "It's the line that leaves the city! It'll take them straight to Bunnyburrow!" Nick exclaimed. Judy's eyes widened at the information.

"We have to stop them!" she yelled. "No shit!" Cynthia chimed in as she lowered her window again and took aim at the van, firing off three shots. "Shit! We're going too deep!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Huh?" Judy asked her. "We're heading into a heavily populated area. I can't risk hitting bystanders," Cynthia explained. "The tires are covered too well, and if we get too close, they'll be able to push us back. We have to wait for them to stop the van," she explained.

"Dammit," Nick muttered. His ears perked as he heard and saw the SWAT van pulling up next to his car. Looking to his left, Nick saw Gibson sitting in the passenger seat, next to a very uncomfortable-looking cheetah. "Gibson!" Nick shouted after lowering his window.

"Wilde! What's the situation!?" Gibson yelled. "They have grenades and guns! They're heading for the train! There's a line up ahead that will take them right out of the city!" Nick yelled, looking back at the road every few seconds. "This van is armored! We'll knock them off their course!" Gibson shouted. "We'll _what!?_ " the female cheetah asked in shock.

"Pull up to the van! I'm gonna do something extremely stupid and dangerous!" Gibson ordered the zebra. "Story of your life!" the zebra exclaimed. Nick could only nod his head in agreement, not that he and Judy could claim much different about themselves. Judy quickly grabbed the radio and called into HQ. "Attention Dispatch! This is Sergeant Judy Wilde. The black van is heading for the Zootopia Exit Line. Please inform all units to intercept at each platform along that line!" Judy demanded.

" _Ten-Four, Wilde. Proceeding to inform all units of target destination. Over_ ," the dispatcher said. Nick kept his eyes on the road and the van as the SWAT van moved in and charged forward, ramming into the black van before Gibson opened his door and climbed out, closing it before hanging onto the edge of the SWAT van's cabin. As the SWAT van neared the black van again, Gibson leapt onto the edge of the other van, grabbing ahold of it by the doors.

"Is he crazy!?" Nick asked in disbelief. He saw that Gibson was smiling as he held onto the door of the black van, just as it opened again, with another grenade, this one being a flash-bang, being tossed out onto the road. "Oh shit!" Nick exclaimed as he hit the brakes and closed his eyes. "Judy, Cynthia; close your eyes!" Nick exclaimed, remembering how Sylvester had gotten the jump and him and Gibson inside the Vera Alus.

The black van sped up before taking a turn and heading for the train station, just as the flash-bang went off, causing the SWAT van to slow down as its occupants drove onto the sidewalk, cursing at their misfortune. Meanwhile, Gibson had been temporarily blinded by the flash-bang, and was now hanging onto the open van door for dear life as the vehicle sped forward, heading towards the train platform.

When Gibson's sight returned, he immediately wished that it hadn't, as the van crashed through the glass doors of the train station entrance and pushed through a crowd of fleeing pedestrians inside, driving past the ticket booths and turn tiles. The van mowed down several elderly animals, young children, and parents before turning and flipping onto its side, skidding across the combination of wood-finish and marbled floors before crashing into the stairs that led to the platform itself. Gibson had let go at the last minute, and felt aches all over his body as he rolled along the ground. "God _damn!_ What the _fuck_ was I _thinking!?_ " he asked himself as he tried to stand, only to fall onto his face.

As he lay there on the ground, Gibson listened to the sounds of crying animals as they ran over to the injured and the dead, sobbing over their loved ones. "Aw fuck. Why can't anything go right today?" Gibson muttered as he tried to stand up, only to find that he didn't have the strength for it, collapsing back to the ground in a heap.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiit," he grumbled, before lifting his head as he heard the sounds of doors being opened. He turned himself around and looked over at the van. The back doors had opened, and the surviving terrorists were climbing out of it, carrying guns and ammo with them as they pushed the tied-up mayor out of the vehicle. For his part, Evarhyde could still walk, not that Gibson gave a shit. Had the mayor died in the crash, Gibson would have merely written it off as an unfortunate casualty, as would seventy percent of the entire Zootopia Police Department.

However, the mayor _was_ still alive, and that meant that he had to rescue him. However, his muscles were too sore and bruised, and Gibson was fairly certain that one of his legs was either broken or damaged in some manner that prevented standing upright. Watching the terrorists get out of the van, Gibson noticed that the black  & white furred hare was the first to emerge, relatively unscathed. After the hare was a male deer, followed by a ram, and a grey-furred female hare.

Reaching for his Bearretta 92FS/L, Gibson slowly pulled it out of its holster and tried to aim it, only to find that his arm was too sluggish for him to be able to do anything. His ears twitched as he heard the sound of tires screeching and a running engine being shut off. Craning his head, and wincing in pain, Gibson looked over at the station entrance, where Nick's car had parked.

Looking at the fox, bunny, and coywolf getting out of the car, Gibson turned back to watch as the Prey Liberation Front made their way through the station, dragging Mayor Evarhyde with them through crowds of distressed civilians. "Do we _really_ need to save his worthless ass?" Gibson asked himself rhetorically. Soon, he heard feet hitting the ground, and he looked up to see Judy making her way over to him.

"Get those bastards!" Gibson yelled, raising his arm and pointing at the stairs where the Prey Liberation Front were running. Pain shot through his arm and he dropped it. "Don't let them get away!" Gibson snarled. "I won't," Judy said firmly as she stood up, Nick and Cynthia jogging over to her side. Soon, the sounds of sirens could be heard as two police cruisers made their way to the entrance of the station.

Nick, Judy, and Cynthia took off towards the Prey Liberation Front. "Judy, get ahead of them and flank them. Nick and I will slow them down," Cynthia said as she took out her backup sidearm and handed it to Nick. "Just like before, eh?" Nick asked her as he took the smaller handgun and checked it before turning off the safety.

Meanwhile, up ahead, the Prey Liberation Front pushed through throngs of animals in their attempt to to get to the train platform. "Move it! Move!" Welker shouted at the various animals in front of him. "Get out of our way!" Donna exclaimed as she waved her gun around.

Various animals ran out of the way and others pointed at them and screamed. "Shut up!" Tom exclaimed as he waved his gun around, pushing the mayor forward. "That's the mayor!" one ewe exclaimed as she pointed at the zebra. "Keep moving!" Tom hissed as he pushed the mayor forward, jabbing Evarhyde in the back with the barrel of his PR65.

"Where's the train?" Donna asked as they neared the platform. "It isn't here yet!" Kurtz said as he pushed people out of the way. Looking back, Tom saw a gray bunny leaping onto hand-rails and over various animals' heads. "It's the police hare!" Tom exclaimed as he pushed the mayor over to Kurtz. "I'll take care of her," Tom said as he aimed and opened fire.

Two antelope in front of Judy cried out as they were shot, with Judy having lost her footing after landing on the floor, thus keeping her out of the line of fire. She quickly got up and leapt back over to the stairs as Tom rushed over, firing his SMG in bursts. Several animals cried out as they ran for cover or were caught in his line of fire, including a small lion cub and his mother.

"You sick bastard!" Judy cried out in revulsion as the deer temporarily focused on the predator family, before reloading his gun and turning to face her again. "And you're a disgrace to prey everywhere!" Tom spat at her. Just as he was about to fire, two shots rang out, and the deer stumbled back, dropping his gun on the floor. Judy looked over at the other side of the stairs, where Nick was standing, pointing his gun at the deer.

Cynthia ran grabbed the rail and leapt over it as she made her way to Judy's side. "Move, Wilde! I'll take care of-fuck! Get down!" she exclaimed as she saw the deer hold a grenade in his hoof. "P-Power to the PREY!" Tom shouted. Cynthia quickly aimed and fired her gun at him before he could pull the pin, killing the deer. "That was for Milius, you bastard."

She saw the animals looking around in fear. "It's okay! I'm a police officer!" she said to the civilians who were staring at her, taking out her badge and ID to help assuage them. She quickly ducked after seeing the other PLF members turning to take aim at her. "Everyone get down!" Cynthia shouted as she grabbed Judy and leapt to the stairs. Only Donna opened fire, with a single burst from her gun before turning around and forcing other animals out of the way.

"Nick! Get to the train! Stop them!" Cynthia shouted after slipping on the stairs, losing her balance and falling back. She managed to stop her fall by grabbing the banister. She looked down below and saw two goat officers making their way up the stairs. "About fucking time!" Cynthia exclaimed.

Judy quickly got up, making sure that she still had Glover's pocket taser, and leapt forward, catching up to Nick as he ran to the top of the stairs. Nick and Judy ran side-by-side as they chased after the retreating terrorists and the captive mayor. "How long until the next departure!?" Judy asked Nick. "I don't-shit! Look at the lights!" Nick exclaimed as he saw a large information panel glowing green.

" **Exit Train has arrived from previous destination. Please wait for the doors to open and allow the previous occupants to exit the train before entering. Thank you,** " a pre-programmed voice said over the intercom. "Come on!" Nick shouted as he and Judy quickened their pace. They looked to their left and saw the train doors of each car begin to open as various animals departed.

Nick and Judy saw the terrorists enter a car that had just opened its doors up ahead. The duo quickly made their way to an opening car, just as they heard ragged breathing behind them. "Furrero?" Nick asked as he saw the coywolf catching up to them. "Don't just stand there, get on the train!" Cynthia shouted as she made her way over to the opening doors. Nick and Judy quickly followed her.

"Where's Gibson?" Judy asked. "What? He's still outside," Cynthia replied as she reloaded her pistol. "Shit, only one spare magazine left," she said after inserting her second-to-last magazine and clearing the chamber. "Nick, how many rounds you got left?" Cynthia asked him. "I only fired two," Nick replied. Cynthia retrieved a small magazine from her belt. "Here, it's a spare for that gun. It takes different ammo than my regular. Don't lose it," she said curtly.

"What about me?" Judy asked the coywolf. "I don't... I only have one spare gun on me. And Gibson doesn't carry anything that his fingers can't fit around. If only Milius-fuck!" Cynthia cursed in anger. The trio soon made their way over to the door of the car and opened it, seeing the door to the next one in front of them. Looking through the small window, Cynthia saw the terrorists leading the mayor into the next car up ahead.

"The train hasn't departed yet," Cynthia said. "Then let's get them off of it," Nick chimed in as Cynthia opened the next door and entered the car. She ran forward, just as the ram pushed the mayor forward before reaching for the door. Kurtz saw her and quickly brought up his SMG.

Cynthia ducked behind a seat, with Nick and Judy diving behind an adjacent one, just as Kurtz opened fired at them. "Fucking preds!" Kurtz spat as he tore up the seat cushions with his gun fire. He stopped to reload, and the trio used that opportunity to jump out. Cynthia fired at the ram, who quickly went down. Nick and Judy rushed over and leapt over him, following the other terrorists into the next car as the train's departure was announced.

Cynthia ran over to follow them, but the ram shot a hoof up and grabbed her, pulling her down to the floor. "Body armor, you bitch!" Kurtz spat at her, before she kicked at his face and crawled away. Cynthia and Kurtz both got up from the floor. Cynthia looked at the spot where her gun had fallen as the ram riled himself up and charged at her using his curled horns to push her back, sending her flying and skidding across the floor.

Cynthia quicly got up and watched as he backed up and prepared to charge again. She steadied herself and looked at the small countdown timer on the wall near the door, detailing how long it would be until the train departed. She had one minute. "Fuck," she whispered in frustration before returning her attention to the ram who was now charging at her. Cynthia quickly leapt onto the seats to avoid him.

Kurtz slowed himself down and tried to change course as Cynthia avoided him. She crawled along the seats on all fours, watching the ram as he stopped himself, crashing into the door car-to-car door and shrugging it off. "You're dead," Kurtz spat at her. "Not yet, Bucko," Cynthia retorted with a grin. Kurtz shot forward, sending his head and horns crashing into the seat where Cynthia had been just scant seconds earlier before leaping to the next set and hopping to the floor.

Kurtz backed up and roared in anger before charging at Cynthia, who was now standing in the middle of the aisle. She quickly backed up before leaping to the right and dodging the ram as he smacked into the seat and standing pole, causing him to stumble. Cynthia quickly rushed over and leapt at him, scratching at him with her claws and punching him in the face. "Aggh!" Kurtz cried out before smacking Cynthia to the floor. She quickly brought up her legs and kicked at Kurtz's stomach.

He grabbed her legs as he stumbled out of the train car. The doors began to close, and Kurtz dragged Cynthia across the floor with him, holding on as the doors closed on him. "Aw, shit!" Kurtz grunted as the doors opened and closed again, just as the train started moving. "Let go of me!" Cynthia snarled before she curled forward bit Kurtz in the face. The train had now begun to move, and it was picking up speed. Kurtz looked over and saw a wall column in the distance.

"Oh shit," he muttered, before Cynthia saw it as well. A cruel smile formed on her face. "You wouldn't let someone die like this, would you?" Kurtz asked her. "Gee, I'm just a filthy predator, so I don't know any better," Cynthia retorted. Kurtz felt his legs and lower abdomen being dragged along the platform as the train picked up speed. He was starting to lose his grip on Cynthia's legs. "Pull me in! Pull me in!" Kurtz cried out.

"Fuck you!" Cynthia spat, grabbing his arms and holding them in place. She looked up at Kurtz and smiled at him. " _Bon Voyage!_ " she said with a smile, just as Kurtz was slammed into the wall column by the speeding train, ripping his body from his arms and allowing the doors to finally close. "Fucking asshole. You kill helpless civilians and expect mercy?" Cynthia asked rhetorically as she got up from the floor, throwing the ram's arms and hoofs to the side.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Nick and Judy were just catching up to Welker, Donna, and the mayor as they entered the final car. "Get out of the fucking way!" Welker roared at a pair of oryx who were standing in the aisle. The two of them quickly moved when they saw his gun.

"Is that the mayor?" "Are those real guns?" "What's going on?" various animals asked as they saw Evarhyde being dragged behind Donna, who was aiming her gun at everyone. "Get down! Everybody get the fuck down!" she ordered, waving her gun in the air before firing a small burst. Everyone screamed before diving to the floor, allowing Donna to see Nick and Judy entering the train car. "Traitor!" Donna cried out as she saw Judy. Nick and Judy quickly retreated and closed the door as Donna opened fire.

"Shit!" Nick whispered. "We can't get in there," Judy growled. "Wait... these trains have canopy sections, right? Can we get to a top level and get outside?" Nick asked her. "I don't know. Not all cars have those sections," Judy replied. "We have to try," Nick said as he led her away from the door and back into the previous car. "Okay, here's the basic outline," he said as he looked at a diagram on the wall. "It's for smaller animals, though. I don't know if I'll fit," Nick said.

"I can fit just fine. But you... you should still be able to fit in that section, although it might feel a little cramped," Judy said as she opened the door to the small passage way that led to a small bunny-sized corridor and spiraling stair section. "No wonder the inside of these trains feel smaller than they look on the outside," Nick commented as he followed Judy into the tight passage.

"Now I know what a TV dinner feels like," Nick said as he crouched behind Judy, following her as she made her way up the stairs that led to a smaller, bunny-sized floor above them, which then led to another, much shorter stair case, which took them to a viewing room. "Can we open the canopy?" Nick asked her. "I don't-there! It's an emergency exit," Judy said as she saw section of the clear dome that opened up.

"Will it sound an alarm?" Nick asked her. "I don't know," Judy replied. "Well, this _is_ an emergency, but if the alarm sounds, it might give us away," Nick said thoughtfully. He looked out of the dome and saw another train platform in the distance. They wouldn't have much time before the train passed the rest of the platforms and cleared Zootopia.

"Here goes nothing," Nick said before he unlocked the dome section and opened it. "What the? It's a maintenance opening with an emergency label!" Nick said, rolling his eyes. "What?" Judy asked him. "It's just a maintenance door. Why do you think it's so small?" he asked her as he stepped out. "They label these things as emergency exits so that animals don't open them for fun," Nick explained as he helped Judy out of the dome, shutting it behind them. They both felt the wind flying through their fur as they made their way across the top of the train, leaping onto the next car and running over to the viewing dome on the top, where several rabbits and otters were huddled together.

Nick banged on the door. "Hey! Let us in!" he yelled, causing them all to back away. Judy soon joined him. "Please, let us in!" she begged. A lone otter, a small child at that, escaped his parents' grasp and rushed over to the door, opening it door them. Nick and Judy quickly got inside and closed the hatch behind them. "Thank you," Judy said to the otter child.

"Okay, so the bad guys are downstairs. They don't know about the bunny-sized passages lining the car, do they?" Nick asked Judy. "Hopefully not," she replied as she led him down the stairs and through the passageway. Eventually, the duo found another set of stairs and climbed down to the bottom floor and and their way around to a small passage that had two hatches and a wall. One hatch led to the conductor and control room, while the other door clearly opened to the passenger section of the car.

Leaning against the control room hatch, Judy listened to the dialogue between the conductors and Welker. " _But we don't have the authority to-_ " " _Listen! This gun in my paws should be all the fucking authority that you need to bypass your next stop. Just keep going until I tell you to stop, and don't even think about calling for help,_ " Welker said. Judy frowned as she realized that Welker had anticipated the possibility that the ZPD would show up at the other train platforms to intercept them.

"So, what's the score?" Nick asked Judy quietly. "Welker's ordering the train conductors to skip each stop. I think he's expecting the ZPD to try intercepting them," Judy whispered in response, causing Nick to furrow his brows. "Damn," Nick muttered. Just then, Judy felt her phone go off, and the jingle of a Gazelle song rang through the passageway.

"Turn it off!" Nick hissed. " _What the hell?_ " Judy heard Welker asking. She quickly put her phone on silent before she and Nick backpedaled away from the hatch. "We're fucked," Nick whispered. "No we're not," Judy said firmly. She quickly rushed over to the other hatch and prepared to open it as she un-silenced her phone and quickly ran through her music playlist.

"Aaaannnddd... play," Judy whispered before opening the door and threw the phone across the floor. The phone slid between Donna's feet, causing her to look down at the floor. "What the hell?" she asked, just before she heard soft foot-steps and felt a sudden weight press against her back, tackling her to the ground. "Graah!" Donna cried out as her SMG fell out of her paws, skidding across the floor of the train car.

Looking around the train car, Nick saw that most of the animals in it earlier had been forced out, piling into the next car behind it. He ran over and kicked the PR65 away from Donna as Judy pinned her to the floor. Nick looked over at the seat where Mayor Evarhyde was sitting.

Nick walked over and untied the mayor. "Come on, let's get out of here," Nick said as he grabbed the mayor's arm. He inwardly grinned at how uncomfortable this made the mayor seem, having his life saved by a predator.

"Welk-mmf!" Donna struggled as Judy clamped a paw over the hare's mouth. The music on Judy's phone was still play as Nick helped move Evarhyde through the aisle, until a shot rang out and the phone was destroyed. "Put the hostage back," Welker said firmly.

Nick and Evarhyde looked back at the black & white furred hare, seeing him glare at them as he held the barrel of his gun to Judy's head. "Do as I say... _now_ ," Welker growled out. Very slowly, Nick let go of Evarhyde, who slowly stepped back over to his seat. "That's a good mayor. Now, place your weapon on the floor and lie down," Welker said. "Do it," he growled, jabbing the barrel of his gun into the back of Judy's head.

Nick slowly placed his gun on the floor, before slowly crouching down. "That's a good pred. Obedient, like you'll all be soon enough," Welker said, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Nick. Nick glared at him, before an idea struck him. He looked Judy in the eyes and she seemed to understand that he had a plan... or at least she hoped that he did. "Well... I guess this is the end of the line for us, isn't it?" Nick asked Welker.

Welker merely smirked in response. "Yes. Yes it is," Welker replied. "I just wish I could've-Judy, now is _not_ the time to masturbate!" Nick exclaimed suddenly, causing Welker to blink in surprise and step back an inch. This gave Judy the advantage the she needed to move her head away from his gun and reach for it, grabbing Welker's arm and biting down with her mouth. "Yaargh!" Welker cried out in pain, dropping his gun.

Nick dove forward and grabbed the gun from the floor. He then jumped up and kicked Welker in the chest, sending the hare falling back to the floor, allowing Judy to leap up from Donna's back. Donna, for her part, had been waiting for the chance to strike, and did so very quickly, immediately shooting forward at Judy, knocking her to the ground in a tackle. "Judy!" Nick exclaimed, just before he saw Welker get back on his feet and pull out a large knife.

"You're dead, pelt!" Welker growled before lunging forward. Nick held out the SMG in a defensive posture, blocking the knife as Welker struck it. Meanwhile, Judy and Donna both grappled with each other on the floor, before Judy kicked Donna off of her. Donna fell back before getting up and Judy was forced to dodge as Donna sent jab after kick her way.

Judy quickly grabbed Donna's right arm before spinning herself around and kicking Donna in the back. Donna cried out before spinning herself around and pulling Judy towards her, smacking her in the head with hers. Judy stumbled back as Donna leapt forward, kicking her in the torso before delivering an uppercut, which Judy managed to grab and moved out of the way before bringing a knee up between Donna's legs.

Donna gasped in pain before bending over, allowing Judy to bring her knee up again into Donna's torso, knocking the hare back. Judy quickly moved forward and delivered several jabs to Donna's midsection before delivering a kick to the hare's face, sending her falling back to the floor. Judy wiped the sweat from her face, just before hearing a pained gasp from the other end of the aisle. She quickly turned and saw Nick struggling with Welker.

Nick was pressing both of his palms against the side of the blade as he tried holding it back, with Welker pushing forward. Welker had a vicious grin plastered on his face as he pushed the blade closer and closer to Nick's chest. "Hey!" Judy cried, getting Welker's attention. Welker turned his head just as Judy delivered a flying kick to him, sending him falling over, accidentally slicing part of Nick's paw.

"Ah, shit!" Nick exclaimed as the blade sliced into his left paw. "Sorry!" Judy apologized as Welker rolled over, away from the duo. Judy quickly helped Nick off of the ground, just before a black & white blur shot past him and tackled her to the ground. "Judy!" Nick cried out as Welker started beating his wife. "You stupid cunt!" Welker spat as he punched Judy repeatedly, with the cop blocking and delivering attacks of her own before she spun on the floor and used one of her legs to kick Welker over her.

He kept his grip on her shirt and pulled her along, tackling her around Donna's unconscious form in a vicious melee, biting and scratching at Judy, drawing blood. Nick quickly ran over to help, only for Welker to bite at his arm, causing Nick to stumble back against the door. Looking back out the door, an idea formed in his head.

He look up at the manual opening device and broke the cover of it. "Hey, asshole! Get the fuck off of my wife!" Nick shouted as he slammed a fist onto the big gray button, causing the doors to open behind him. He could feel the wind ripping through the car and his fur. Welker gave Judy a black eye before he stood up and turned to face Nick. The Mohawked hare was almost feral at this point in his blood lust.

"Why attack a fellow prey when you can get this lean predator for free?" Nick taunted him suavely. Welker, no longer thinking straight, took the bait. Nick readied himself, and just as Welker was about to slam into him, he side-stepped the hare, causing Welker to fall forward through the open doorway. "Ha! Didn't ex-aah!" Nick cried out at Welker grabbed his tail and bit down on it, causing the fox to jump and lose his footing. Nick quickly fell to the side and grabbed onto the door panel.

"Nick? Nick!" Judy cried out as she stumbled to her feet, running forward. Nick saw how unsteady she was on her feet, and knew that she would fal out of the train if she got closer to him. "Judy, no! S-Stay-aaahhh!" Nick cried out as Welker bit down on his tail and climbed up his torso. Turning his head and looking at the other train cars, and then looking ahead at the transitional tunnel between Tundra Town and Sahara Square, Nick new that the slight curve coming up would give him just one chance.

"Judy, whatever happens... I love you," Nick said before letting go, disappearing from Judy's sight. "No! No, Nick! Nick!" Judy cried out as she crawled over and looked out the open doors of the train. She saw the falling form of Welker holding Nick's shirt as he descended towards a frozen lake, where he would no doubt either die on impact or suffer from broken bones and chilling cold before succumbing to the freezing temperatures of that section of Tundra Town. Judy looked over and saw the Transitional Tunnel getting closer.

With tears in her eyes, she got up and hit the button to close the doors of the train, before she walked over to Donna's unconscious form and grabbed the bindings that Mayor Evarhyde had been given. She made sure that Donna's arms were tightly bound and secured before she walked over to the mayor, who was now brushing himself off. "Excellent job, Sergeant Wilde. I'll make certain that you get a commendation for this," he said.

"Whata bout Nick? What about the others?" Judy asked him, disgust welling up at the mayor's lack of concern for the other officers who had risked and lost their lives to save him. "Well, if they're alive, I'm sure they'll receive the necessary praise for their actions," Evarhyde responded. Judy shook her head and walked away from him in disgust. The door to the control room opened and one of the conductors stepped into the car. "Uh... are we safe? Can we stop at the next platform?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah... we're safe," Judy said solemnly. "O-Okay," the conductor said before he returned to the control room, closing the door behind him. Judy sat down and started to cry. "Hey, I'll give you two commendations, if that'll make you feel better," Evarhyde said. "Shut up!" Judy spat at him. "I just-" "Just shut the fuck up!" she hissed at him, tears streaming down her bruised and bloodied face.

**Ten Minutes Later...**

The train slowly came to a stop at the platform in Sahara Square, allowing the terrified passengers to disembark as the ZPD began questioning them and setting up locations for them to wait. Judy, her ears drooped and the blood around her mouth drying, sniffled as she heard the door to the train car open, and she looked up to see Chief Bogo stepping into the car. Bogo nodded his head at her, before looking around at the car to see Mayor Evarhyde and the tied-up Donna Sorbo. "Wilde?" Bogo asked her. "Y-Yes?" Judy asked him shakily in return.

"Congratulations on rescuing the mayor," Bogo said. Judy nodded her head slowly, not really caring about the mayor at this point. The car-to-car door soon opened, prompting Judy and Bogo to turn their heads. "Detective Furrero," Bogo said. "Chief," Cynthia said as she stepped into the car. "Where's..." Bogo trailed off as he noticed Nick's absence. "Don't worry about the ram. I disarmed him," Cynthia said.

"That isn't who I was referring to," Bogo said. "I think he meant _me_ ," a male voice from behind her said. Judy's ears lifted and her eyes widened as she saw her shirtless husband step around Cynthia. He smiled at her. "Hey," he said. Tears began to form in Judy's eyes again, before she rushed over and leapt into Nick's arms. She quickly rubbed her chin on him before squealing in happiness as she hugged him tightly.

"Geez! I should play dead more often," Nick joked. Judy looked up and gently hit him. "You s-stupid! Stupid! Stupid bastard! I-I thought you were... I thought... I thought you were dead," she said. Nick wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry. I had to stay in the other car and help Cynthia keep the other animals calm. There was a pair of severed arms on the floor in one car," Nick said.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Judy said. "Ahem," Bogo said, getting their attention. "Wilde... glad to see that you're alive," Bogo said, a small upturn of his mouth showing his honesty. "Well... I can't die just yet, Chief. I haven't driven you insane yet," Nick said with a wry smile. "If you keep pulling stunts like this, you may not live to see that," Bogo replied in kind.

"So... is she all that's left?" Bogo asked, pointing at the tied up doe. "I guess. Welker's somewhere in Tundra Town... probably frozen in a lake or something," Nick said. "Chief, have you heard from Gibson? Is he okay?" Judy asked. "Gibson is alive, although he's doing a marvelous job of replacing Milius as my resident pain in the ass," Bogo said. "When's the funeral for Milius?" Nick asked him. "This coming Saturday, along with a reading of his will, which the two of you have been invited to," Bogo said.

"W-We are?" Nick asked, somewhat stunned. "Yes. He had it updated after the incident onboard the Vera Alus last year. But... that's enough for now. We're in public right now, so... let's get statement and then head back to the station. The two of you need to give me a report by tomorrow afternoon, so both of you will be on desk duty tomorrow. Same for you, Furrero," Bogo said. "Yes, Chief," Cynthia said.

Turning to face the mayor, Chief Bogo nodded his head. "Mayor Evarhyde," Bogo said. "Chief... you did an excellent job. You and Sergeant Wilde here will both receive commendations for your plan to stop the terrorists," Evarhyde said. "It wasn't my plan, and Sergeant Wilde wasn't the only one who saved you," Bogo said firmly. "Y-Yes. Of course," Evarhyde said reluctantly as he turned to extend a hoof to Nick and Cynthia. "Thank you," he said. "For... saving my life... and the rest of Zootopia from these... terrorists," Evarhyde said.

"You're welcome," Nick said. "Is there... anything I can do to repay you for your services?" Evarhyde asked them. "Well... there is this one thing," Cynthia said with a grin. "You know that ordinance regarding predator officers getting de-clawed and de-fanged?" Cynthia asked him. "Yes?" Evarhyde asked her. "Overturn it. Or the next time you get kidnapped... you'll be on your own," Cynthia said.

"Furrero," Bogo warned. "No. It's the least he can do for us," Cynthia said firmly. "Yes, well... I will... certainly see that it is reviewed and... overturned by the end of the month," Evarhyde said reluctantly. "We'll be asking about it every few days," Cynthia said. Evarhyde nodded his head as he sat down. "Of course you will," he said quietly.

"Chief, may Nick and I return home?" Judy asked Bogo. "Yes, Wilde. You may both return home. You've earned it," Bogo said, nodding his head. "Oh, by the way, our car is at the station in the Meadowlands. Could we get someone to drop us off there?" Nick asked Bogo. "I'll have Wolford and Fangmeyer take care of it," Bogo said. "McLeod will drive you home," the cape buffalo added. "We'll see ya tomorrow, Chief," Nick said as he put an arm around Judy's shoulders, holding her close as they walked out the doors of the train.

Walking through the crowds of people and fellow ZPD officers inside the air-conditioned train station, simply relaxing in each other's presence, Nick and Judy allowed themselves to finally feel at peace. "Hey, I see McLeod up ahead," Nick said as they neared the entrance of the station. The wolf waved to them. "Well... let's go home," Nick said, kissing Judy deeply, not caring about the other animals looking at them as Judy embraced him and returned the kiss.

"I already am," Judy whispered in his ears. Nick smiled at her. "I know, Fluff. So am I," he whispered back. "Hey! I don't have all day!" McLeod yelled. Nick and Judy both rolled their eyes at their friend's impatience. "Hey, what do you say... " "No, not in the backseat of his cruiser," Judy said with a giggle. "Aw, why not?" Nick fake pouted. "Because, our bed is a far better place," Judy replied with a smile. "Damn, you're absolutely right," Nick said with a smile.

"Come on, guys! You can make lovey-dovey faces at each other in the car!" McLeod yelled at them before crossing his arms. "Okay!" Nick said with a smile, before he picked up Judy and carried her to the police cruiser. "Nick!" Judy whined with a smile. "What?" he asked her with a grin on his face. "Nothing," she said with a smile, before she and Nick climbed into the backseat of the cruiser, snuggling safely in each other's arms, where they both felt the safest.

The End

Ending Theme: _Restless Heart/Running Away With You_ , by John Parr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Yep. This is the last chapter of Furry Fury and holy crap was writing the ending the most difficult part, because I just could not find a spot to end it on that felt satisfactory to me. And if I keep adding to it, then I'm afraid of creating Ending Fatigue, and I want to avoid that, so... I'm not entirely satisfied with the final line of this story, but I'll live. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this story. Please know me know what you think of it in your reviews.


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